Mischief
by hannahthewordsmith
Summary: When Evee Thomas gets home from work to find a strange man sleeping in her bed, her entire life gets turned upside down. As if it wasn't crazy enough before. Loki/OC rating might change, it depends.
1. Tasers and Nakedness

"Miss Thomas!" I froze in my seat, my eyes widening. Oh fuck. Oh fuckity fucking fuck. I quickly gathered at my things and hurried from my desk. "Miss Thomas!" Coulson had spotted me, and his voice was stern. I was nearly at the door, just a little farther.

"Going somewhere?" I looked forward and squeaked in surprise, running smack into Tony Stark.

_FUCK!_

"Ah, hello Mr. Stark," I said as innocently as I could, backing up and smoothing down the wrinkles I had created in his fancy suit. "Nice weather we're having, hm? I just need to," I didn't finish the sentence as I tried to scoot around him, but he kept getting in my way. "Tony," I whispered, "don't let him get me!" He smirked.

"Trust me darling, I hate him as much as you do. But he looks like he has something important to say."

"There you are Miss Thomas," Coulson said from behind me and I growled at Tony, my eyes narrowing into a threatening glare. He just smiled. I probably didn't look all that threatening, considering that I was shorter than the majority of the men at S.H.I.E.L.D, including Tony. "I have something important to discuss with you." Before I could protest, Coulson grabbed my arm and began dragging me away.

"Help me!" I whisper/screamed to Tony, but he simply laughed and walked away. I set my jaw and huffed, stumbling after the S.H.I.E.L.D agent. Tony Stark is on my shit list...again.

"Uh oh, Evee's in trouble," a familiar voice snickered.

"Don't even start with me, Clint." He held up his hands in surrender, but was unable to hide the smile on his face. As we passed Steve, he gave me a sympathetic smile. My mood only worsened. Bruce noticed my stormy expression and whistled lightly as he hurried away. Coulson continued dragging me through the base as I attempted to shove my things into my bag with one hand. Natasha turned lightly to see what all the fuss was about, then quickly turned back around when she saw me.

It seemed Coulson was the only one that didn't notice.

"Where the hell are we going, Coulson?" I questioned as we started down a hallway.

"You heard about that satellite crash, right?" I nodded. "Well, it wasn't a satellite." My eyes rolled.

"Considering how S.H.I.E.L.D handled it, I could've figured that much." He threw me a look, his grip on my arm tighter. "Ouch! Jesus, Coulson, lighten up!" Finally, we arrived at a door and Coulson scanned his thumb, pulling me inside.

"This is the so called satellite." My eyes bulged out of my head as I looked at the armor. It was green and silver, pieced together like a puzzle with a green cape hanging against the wall. The helmet had horns curved backwards, and I reached out to touch the point of one of the horns. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. It could be radioactive." I gave him a look. If it was radioactive, then what the hell were we doing standing next to it? "I'm going to need you to document and photograph this armor. It shouldn't even take you a day. I've never asked you to do anything before, Miss Thomas. Please take that into consideration." My eyes flickered over to him.

"Can I go now?" He rolled his eyes and nodded.

"You start tomorrow!" he called, but I was already back at my desk, putting the things I had forgotten into my bag.

"What did you do this time?" Clint asked, leaning against my desk with a smirk.

"Shut up, I just have to watch over this suit of armor for a little while," I retorted. He smiled, standing from my desk as I straightened. I rolled my eyes as he stood in my way and shoved past him. "Honestly, I'm more mature than all of you put together sometimes," I muttered, walking out of the base. It was well into the night, and I was so tired that it wasn't even funny. I was able to safely drive home, surprisingly, and I stumbled into my one story house with a yawn. I walked to my bedroom, shedding various things and leaving them in different places. Upon arriving at my bedroom, I changed into my pajamas and yawned again, collapsing into my bed. I was more than ready for a good eight hours of sleep.

I was just about unconscious when I heard it. A soft exhale from behind, the air tickling the back of my neck. I tensed, trying to tell myself that I was hallucinating. But there it was again. Slowly and fearfully, I turned on my other side and found myself face to face with a peacefully sleeping man. It was late, and I wasn't thinking straight, so I did the only thing I could think of.

I screamed.

The man jolted awake as I scrambled out of bed, stumbling to the door. If this had been under different circumstances, I would've noted how pretty his eyes were. But there was a strange man in my room. And no matter how cute, he wasn't getting off that easy. I dove for the taser that Darcy bought me for my birthday. The man appeared in the doorway and I turned the weapon on him, my shaking fingers on the trigger. _Oh my_, I thought, seeing that he was naked. I kept my eyes trained on his scowl.

"Foolish mortal!" he spat. "You can't hurt me with your Midgardian weaponry!"

"You wanna bet?" I asked mercilessly, my eyes narrowing.

"Your bravery, while admirable, is wasted," he said, his voice low and calm and scary. Slowly, he began walking towards me and I quickly walked backwards until I had bumped into the kitchen table. He walked closer until the front of the taser was practically touching his bare...muscled...Greek God-like chest. I swallowed lightly, tearing my eyes away from his body to find him smirking devilishly at me. "You can't hurt me."

"I'll take that as a yes," I hissed and pushed him back into the counter before pointing the taser at him and pulling the trigger. The tasers shot out and hit him just above his abs. He spasmed before dropping to the ground. I gently tapped his side with my foot, looking at him curiously. I bit my lip lightly. "Thanks Darce," I whispered, kissing the top of the taser before dragging the man towards the living room. I found some of my brother's old boxers and pajamas and struggled to put them on. They fit almost perfectly. Then again, my brother had been a fucking giant. I then sat on the couch after tying him to a chair in the kitchen, aiming at places on the wall for the next few minutes.

"What in Odin's name are you doing?" The voice made me yelp in surprise, accidentally pulling the trigger. The tasers flew into the TV screen, and I flinched as it imploded in a shower of sparks.

"Well damn," I murmured. This will be fun explaining to Coulson. I looked back over at the man, who was looking at me like I was an alien. "Nothing anymore." I stood and walked over to the counter, sitting on one of the barstools. "What were you doing in my house?"

"Whose clothes are these?" he asked, looking down at himself.

"Answer my question."

"Answer mine!"

"I asked first!" We were shouting now and he narrowed his green eyes at me.

"It seemed like a suitable residence...at the time." I scowled. "Now, answer my question."

"They're my brother's. He's not here anymore, and he was also freakishly tall, so..." I rolled my eyes. "I shouldn't have to tell you!" I shook my head and started towards my room. "You're welcome, by the way." Suddenly he was in front of me, trapping me against the wall by the door. My eyes bulged. How the hell did he get free of those ropes? I was a girl scout, dammit, I know how to tie knots! He leaned close and I thought that he was going to kill me, right then and there.

"Thank you," he whispered, and I blinked in surprise, "for the clothes."

"I...you're welcome," I said again, this time genuinely, as I tried to press myself as far back against the wall as possible. He pulled back and walked away.

"I'll be sleeping on the couch, I presume?" My mouth hung open in shock.

"Excuse me? And just who exactly said you could stay here?"

"I did."

"You can't stay here, I don't even know you. I can't trust you!"

"Ah, but you see," he said, clasping his hands behind his back, "I'm very talented at reading people. You're a good person, so how could you possibly deny someone in need of shelter the one thing they're in need of?" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"Fine. But if I see you in my bed again, I'm shooting you with my taser." He flinched. "Goodnight...?"

"Loki." I nodded.

"I'm Evee. Goodnight Loki."

"Goodnight." I walked into my bedroom and shut the door, curling up under the covers. I closed my eyes and tried not to think of how close our faces had been.


	2. Photography and Dressing Rooms

**Okay, so for all of you wondering about the Eyes Like Emeralds sequel, there will be one. I'm currently planning out the plot I want and I've already gotten started on the first chapter. It will take place after Issalea leaves Asgard for good and arrives in New Mexico. That's all I'ma tell you. And for all of you who are wondering what Eyes Like Emeralds is, just head on over to my account and check it out. It was my first Thor story, and so far I've been getting good reviews. This author's note is getting too long, so I'm going to cut it off here. Later!**

I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes groggily. Wow, that had been some dream. It was so vivid, too. Stretching, I stood and walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower. I stepped into the cold water, feeling it wake me up and massage my aching muscles. I washed my body and hair, shaving as well, before hopping out and patting myself dry with a towel. I slipped on my undergarments and jeans and turned on the faucet water. I never wear a shirt while washing my face. It just gets my shirt soaked. I blow-dried my hair and brushed my teeth after washing my face. After that, I opened the door to go in my room and find a shirt, but stopped when I saw a figure hunched over, digging through my drawers. I froze and he straightened. I knew those eyes instantly.

"Do you happen to have any more of your brother's clothes?" he asked, crossing his toned arms over his chest. "I grow weary of these." He gestured down to the flannel pajama pants and dark gray t-shirt. "Something in green, preferably."

"It wasn't a dream," I whispered.

"What?"

I shook myself out of my trance and nodded. "Um yeah, in the guest room, just hang on." I gently pushed past him, opening my closet and pulling a white, lace-trimmed undershirt from the rack. I felt a cold touch on my bare back and jumped, whipping around. Loki looked at me curiously. "Are you sick or something? Your hands are really cold."

"It comes with the territory, I'm afraid," he replied, his face expressionless. I made a small humming sound in the back of my throat, pulling the shirt on.

"Follow me." I walked around him and out of my bedroom. I could feel him behind me, his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head. I opened the door to the guest room. "Sorry about the boxes, I'm still in the process of unpacking." I walked to the one I had opened last night, pulling out another plain, dark green t-shirt and a pair of jeans. "I'm sure I have some sneakers somewhere." I climbed over boxes, walking onto the bed and dropping onto my knees. I leaned over the edge, my hair brushing the floor as I looked under the bed. "Aha!" I pulled out his old Converse, handing them out to Loki.

"It's all very...casual," he murmured, already pulling off the gray t-shirt and pants.

"Yeah, he was a laid back guy." I leaned against the headboard, watching him with a small smile. He noticed and narrowed his eyes.

"Do you mind?"

"No, carry on." He rolled his eyes, pulling on the worn jeans.

"Where is your brother?" I looked down at my hands.

"He's not here. Not anymore, anyway." Loki stopped reaching for his shirt, looking at me.

"You have my condolences." I made the humming sound again, climbing back over the boxes and pushing past him, going towards my room. I picked out a nice, red blouse, pulling it on as well. "Why are you so dressed up?" he asked from the doorway as I walked into the bathroom.

"My work isn't exactly one for casual wear." I smirked, trying to imagine Coulson's expression if I walked into work in a Metallica t-shirt and my ratty old Converse. I applied a light bit of make-up and pulled my hair into a side-braid. Loki appeared in the bathroom doorway.

"I don't really favor this casual 'look'," my eyebrow arched at his air quotes, "may we perhaps go in search of something more...formal?" It was my turn to look at him like he was an alien.

"Uh...sure. I don't have very much money, though."

"I will handle all monetary transactions." I nodded lightly.

"I shouldn't be getting off of work too late," I glanced at my watch, realizing I was going to be late if I didn't pick up the pace. "Just, try and stay here please? There's enough trouble in my life as is." He gave me a look. I walked into the living room, Loki not far behind. I noticed he had a small limp. "Is your leg okay?" I asked curiously. He looked down, as if surprised.

"Yes, I just had a small accident." I pursed my lips, about to call him out on his bluff, when I noticed the time.

"Crap, I gotta go! I'll see you soon, yeah?" He nodded and I pulled on a pair of matching flats. "Bye." I grabbed my keys and my phone, sticking them into my disorganized bag with my taser included. He winced when he saw the weapon, and I resisted a smile as I headed out the door, locking it. I ran to my car, driving through the rinky dink New Mexican town that Darcy had practically dragged me too after finishing college. I pulled up to the encampment S.H.I.E.L.D set up a few miles out of town, brushing loose strands of hair from my face.

"Hey Evee," Darcy greeted as I walked inside the encampment. "Clint told me you got in trouble."

"Yeah, well Clint is a compulsive liar, Darce." My best friend rolled her eyes with a smile. We passed Tony, who gave me a polite smile.

"Evee."

"Man-whore." Clint, who was standing near, snorted and Darcy snickered.

"Good luck getting off her shit list," I heard Bruce laugh. "How many times is that? Four?" Tony mumbled something I didn't hear, causing the other two to laugh loudly.

"What did Coulson want with you anyway?"

"Evelyn!" I groaned as the last person I wanted to see showed up. He gestured for me to follow.

"That's my cue. Gotta run. Tell Jane I said hi." I took off before Darcy could respond. I caught up with Coulson and he led me down the hallway.

"Here's your camera and voice recorder, since your handwriting isn't very legible." I frowned at this, but said nothing. I didn't want to write anything in the first place. I hung the camera around my neck and gripped the voice recorder. We arrived at the room and Coulson opened the door. I stepped inside. "Oh, and try not to touch it. If you absolutely must, at least wear gloves." He gave me an exasperated look before closing the door. I looked at the suit of armor, turning on my camera. I set the voice recorder next to the foot of the boot and hit play.

"This is Evelyn Thomas, technological analyst with S.H.I.E.L.D." Yes, technically I'm a computer nerd. "The date is September 14, 2011 and it is currently 9:45 in the morning. I've been told by Agent Phil Coulson, also with S.H.I.E.L.D, to examine and document a suit of armor that crashed not far from this encampment. I will now began studying the armor." I resisted pulling a face. God, I sounded so _official_. "Judging by the length of the thigh plates, I would assume that the wearer of this armor is tall. Taller than Steve Rogers, so at least six feet." Steve was practically a giant. But to me, everyone was a giant. "There is a large indentation in the left thigh plate. The owner could have a leg injury, possible limp." I took a quick picture of the dent, then noticed something on the arms. "The seemingly metal arms have been completely burned through. Owner definitely has burns on the arms." I took a picture of those. "And possibly the chest area," I added, taking a picture of the holes in the chest piece.

I set the camera down and pulled on the rubber gloves, lifting up the helmet. "Possible head injury," I said, looking at the dent on the helmet. I stole a glance at the inside and pushed my braid over my shoulder. "Nothing too serious, the dent doesn't even protrude the inside of the helmet." I set down the helmet and took a quick picture before moving on to the cape. "Obvious skid marks and rips on the cape. Doesn't look like anything too terrible." I examined the rest of the armor, trying to look for anything interesting. I took a final picture of the entire suit, cape included. "That's all I could find. This is Evelyn Thomas signing off." I hit stop and pulled off the gloves, setting them on the silver table by the suit.

"Alright Coulson, I'm done!" I shouted, knowing he was waiting outside. He entered and I handed him the two things.

"Thank you, Evelyn." I waved a dismissive hand and he walked out of the room. I leaned against the wall, staring at the armor.

"Who are you?" I whispered to it. "I wish I could help you." I shrugged and began walking towards the door when I stopped in front of the mirror to make sure everything looked good. Suddenly, Loki appeared behind my reflection. I gasped and turned around so quick that my braid whipped the side of my face. But Loki wasn't there. "Oh great," I muttered, "Now I'm hallucinating about my new housemate. Lovely." I rubbed my cheek with a pout and left the room, not noticing how Loki still appeared in the mirror and how he had a small smirk on his face.

"Hey, how did it go?" I looked up from my computer at Steve, who had positioned himself on my desk.

"Boringly. Although I did find out some interesting facts." He quirked a brow, a signal to continue. "The owner of the suit is a male. A tall male. Like, taller than you." His eyes widened slightly at that. "He's got a leg injury and burns to his arms and chest, with a possible skull injury. It's not much, but..." I trailed, shrugging with a smile. He leaned down closer.

"That's probably better than what most of the technological analysts around here can do," he whispered in my ear, giving me a smile like it was a secret. "You did well, Ev." He patted my shoulder and walked off. Well, that was odd. Usually it took forever to get Steve to stop talking, much less go away. Even with something so simple. I turned in my chair and watched him walk away, rubbing my lip in thought. Maybe he's sick? No, he's Captain America. Sick isn't a word in his vocabulary. Eventually I just shrugged and turned back to my desk, working.

About seven hours later, while typing an email to my mother, I felt soft breathing on my neck.

"Clint, you aren't funny. You're creepy. Stop it," I said in a monotone voice, because he did this all the time and I was thisclose to making sure he never had kids...ever.

"Oh, lighten up Ev," he said, sitting exactly where Steve had sat hours before. "You've got a visitor." My brows furrowed.

"What?" He shrugged.

"Trust me, I didn't think you had friends either."

I stood and gave him a hard punch to the arm, shouting, "Dick!" as he ran away. Huffing, I sent the email and walked to the main door of the encampment, seeing a familiar figure standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Loki?" I asked, hopping down the stairs. "How did you find this place?" His eyebrows rose. He was dressed in a gray wool trench coat, but still had the outfit I had given him on underneath.

"Honestly, it's very difficult to not find this place." I rolled his eyes. "I was wondering when you would be released from your duties." I looked back at Coulson, who nodded absentmindedly.

"Right now, it seems," I said cheerfully, and Darcy handed me my bag with a wink. "Gee, thanks Darce." I rolled my eyes as Loki and I walked towards my car. "How did you get here, anyway?"

"I walked," he said casually, but I was so surprised that I stopped walking. "Is there a problem?"

"You _walked_ here?" He nodded, obviously confused. "Loki, that's a two hour walk."

"Two and three quarters, actually." My eyes bulged out of my head.

"You are officially the weirdest roommate I've ever had," I muttered, pulling him towards my Jeep. He sat down apprehensively in the front seat. "Make sure you buckle up." Loki looked at me weird. "Are you serious? You don't-oh my goodness." I sighed dramatically and reached across him.

"What on Asgard are you-oh." I nodded as I clicked his seatbelt into place and started driving.

"Did you say Asgard?" I asked as we pulled onto the road. "You like Norse Mythology?"

"I suppose you could say that, yes." I looked over and saw how he was smiling. Like there was some private joke I didn't know about.

"Oh that's cool. My friend Jane likes it too."

"Jane as in...Jane Foster." I nodded, keeping my eyes on the road.

"Mhm, you know her?"

"I've...heard of her. I don't know her personally." I nodded again.

"We're going to have to go to the next town over. If you want formal wear you aren't going to find it in Puente Antiguo." He nodded absently, making me look over at him. Loki seemed to be deep in thought, and I didn't want to bother him.

"Why doesn't this vehicle have a roof?" he asked and I felt my face twist up. That's what he was thinking about?

"I have no idea, Loki. Why do you keep asking questions?" He was silent after that, and I smiled triumphantly. We drove for a while, and it was nearly sunset when I pulled into the next town. It was more alive than Puente Antiguo, and I quickly navigated the roads to a store selling suits. "This is as formal as it gets, my friend." We exited the vehicle after I had to give Loki a very detailed explanation on how to unbuckle himself. We walked into the store and I looked around awkwardly. Loki looked very at ease, carefully picking through different suits before drifting to a changing room. I followed with a bored expression. Don't get me wrong, I like shopping. Just not _this_ kind of shopping.

"Evee," he said, "come in here."

"Are you crazy? That is a changing room, it's not supposed to-hey!" I huffed as Loki shut the door to the changing room. "This is so awkward on _so_ many levels."

"How so?" he asked, and I turned as he began stripping.

"Because we just met not even forty-eight hours ago and you're already taking off your clothes!" I half whispered, half shouted.

"Hand me that tie please. The black one." I did so without looking, rolling my eyes as he blatantly ignored me. "Okay, you can turn around." I did so, looking him over.

"Very fancy, I'll give it that much. But are you seriously going to dress like that every day? This is New Mexico. We only have, like, two days of winter." Loki ignored me completely, already slipping off the jacket. I draped it over my arm, sighing. "Seriously, you're going to have a heat stroke."

"I'll be perfectly fine." As he continued handing me clothes, I just happened to glance at the prices.

"Loki, there is no way I can pay for this. I barely get enough money from S.H.I.E.L.D as it is. I'm lucky enough that they're paying for my house!"

"I specifically remember telling you to let me handle it." I looked over my shoulder to see him smiling at me. But something was off with his smile. It was almost...mischievous. Then I caught sight of his chest; not because of how absolutely perfect it is, but because of the burns on it.

"Oh my God! What happened?" I questioned, dropping the clothes as I turned him around to look at him. How did I not see this last night? There were two massive burns: one above his heart and one above his perfect abs. I could also see the two small dots where I had tasered him.

"Like I said, a small accident. They don't even hurt."

"Like hell they don't hurt," I scoffed, examining his arms as well. There were glaring red splotches running down the length of both his arms. "Seriously Loki, what happened?" He gave me a look, like this wasn't the place to be talking about it. "Fine, but you'll have to tell me eventually. I'm treating these as soon as we get home." I stole a glance at my watch. "It's late, we should get going." He nodded and we both gathered the clothes in our arms, practically waddling to the checkout. The lady at the counter gave us a suspicious glance. "We're going to be the Men in Black for Halloween," I explained dryly and she rolled her eyes. I anxiously watched the price go up as more beeps sounded. Loki had bought several suits, plus a jacket like his own, ties to go with the suits, and a scarf or two. I nearly fainted when the final price came up. Loki held out a hand as I started reaching for my wallet, pulling out one that I didn't even know he had.

I forced my jaws to stay together as he pulled out the correct amount, but I could see he still had a shitload more in that wallet. The lady was now the one that looked like she was about to faint. She bagged the items and handed them to us. "Thanks," I mumbled and I walked with Loki to the car. "Where did you get all that money?" I demanded once we were out of earshot.

"I have my ways," was all he said. We arrived at the Jeep and I climbed in.

"I'm being serious here, Loki...did you rob a bank? Oh God, am I harboring a fugitive?" I groaned, letting my forehead bounce on the steering wheel.

"I'm not a fugitive of any kind," he said firmly and I sighed, starting the car. "Do you think me deceitful?"

"I'm not sure what to think, honestly," I replied softly, looking over at him. But he was looking at the window. I shook my head and pulled out of the parking lot. The drive back home was quiet, Loki did not pester me with weird questions that made me reconsider letting him stay with me. We arrived at the house in what felt like a shorter amount of time. As soon as we were both inside and the lights were on, I turned to Loki. "Alright, take it off."

"Excuse me?"

"Your shirt. Off. Now." I walked into the kitchen as he obeyed, searching for the burn cream. When I returned with the tub, he was awkwardly sitting on the couch with his shirt draped over the back. I stood there for a moment, examining and admiring his perfect posture. Then I walked into the living room and sat down next to him. I uncapped the tub and ran the pads of my fingers over the top. "Be honest," I whispered as I began applying the cream. "Does it hurt?" He was quiet for a moment, wincing at the contact of the cream on his burns.

"It stings occasionally." I nodded, moving on to his arms. His skin was so cold, like he sleeps in a freezer. But I didn't comment on it, instead applying the cream silently. "I wanted to thank you for your kindness. I was, admittedly, rather cruel to you when we first met."

"Gee, ya think?" He chuckled. I finished up and twirled the cap back on. "I'll go get you some pajama pants. You can't wear a shirt, or else it'll come off." I reached into the box and pulled out a pair of pants similar to the ones from last night, tossing them at him. "I'm going to bed. I'm off tomorrow, so we can just chill if you want. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Evee." I turned off the living room light, and almost instantly heard snoring. A soft smile crossed my face and I collapsed in bed, more than ready for the inevitable sleep.


	3. Spongebob and Rollerskating

"Evee."

"Hmm?" I didn't look up from my laptop, looking over the information that Jane had sent me. It seemed like it would work, making her own wormhole. She was so intent on finding this Thor guy. I mean, Darce had even shown me pictures, I knew he was real. But still, it felt to me like Jane was just chasing ghosts.

"Evee."

"What?" I looked at Loki over the top of my laptop screen. He appeared to be in deep thought, so I rolled my eyes and looked back at the screen.

"Eeeehhhhh-veeeeeee."

"Oh for the love of...yes Loki?" He looked up at the sound of his name, obviously surprised.

"Hm? I was just thinking about your name. It's quite unusual." I snorted, picking up my laptop and walking over to sit next to him.

"I could say the same for you," I replied, letting my feet rest in his lap. He gave me a look, but didn't make any comments or try to move them. "Evee is a nickname."

"For what?"

"Evelyn. I didn't really like that name, so I went with Evee." He nodded like he understood, but I could tell he didn't. I requested a chat with Jane and began typing.

_techgeek27: The information seems sound enough. It could work with a few tweaks. Permission to speak freely? _Her reply was almost instant.

_womanofscience35105: Of course_. I chewed on my lip, wondering how to word this without hurting her.

_techgeek27: Are you sure that this will work? Something just doesn't feel right to me._ She didn't reply for a while, and I was scared that she had gotten angry with me.

_womanofscience35105: Perhaps. But isn't science about taking risks?_

_techgeek27: I wouldn't know, I'm not a scientist._ I could almost hear her laughing.

_womanofscience35105: You've got a point there. I have to go, Darcy broke something._ The chat showed that she signed off and I closed my laptop. "What is that?"

"A computer, it lets me talk to people without them actually being there."

"Like a phone?" I smirked.

"Sorta." I grabbed the TV remote and moved my feet from Loki's lap in order to scoot closer to him. We had wasted the whole morning away doing absolutely nothing. Well, except for me applying the cream to his burns again. They were healing really well, surprisingly. Somehow, Coulson found out about my tasered TV and had it replaced while I was out suit-shopping with Loki. The latter was still in his pajama pants, though. He had yet to even touch his suits. I turned on the TV and leaned back against the couch cushions, resting my feet on the coffee table. He looked at me for a moment before copying the action.

"What are the plans for today?" he asked quietly and I shrugged.

"I figured we could have a lazy day, if that's alright with you." He nodded and I flipped through channels aimlessly. I finally decided on Spongebob, my favorite cartoon.

"What on Asgard is this? That yellow one's voice makes my ears bleed, and that fat pink one is ridiculously stupid," Loki exclaimed halfway through the show. I rolled my eyes.

"It's a children's show. It's supposed to be like that. Now hush." He gave me a look, but quieted anyway. I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees with my chin in my hands.

"Is there anything to do in this town?" he asked once the show ended and I had turned the TV off.

"Um...we could go roller skating?"

"What is that?"

"Well, roller skates are shoes with four wheels on the bottom, and you basically skate in a circle until you get tired."

"And you consider this _fun_?"

"Not really, I just like watching everyone fall." He chuckled. "C'mon, I'll even invite Jane and Darcy so we won't be alone." Finally, he caved, rolling his green eyes and nodding. "Awesome! But don't wear a suit, please. You'll look like a weirdo." I stood and hurried into my room, changing into a Beatles t-shirt and a pair of jeans, pulling on my ratty blue Converse. When I walked out with my hair in a ponytail, Loki was already dressed in jeans and a plain black t-shirt. I pulled my phone out of my purse as we started towards the car.

"Yellow?" I rolled my eyes.

"Hey Darce, you up for roller skating today?"

"Dude, I'm _always_ up for roller skating. Besides, I'm starting to think Jane is becoming a hermit." I grinned. "See ya there Ev!" I hung up and stuck my phone in my pocket. Loki and I hopped into my Jeep and we drove to the outskirts of town, where the roller rink was. It wasn't too shabby for a small town, but it didn't get as much attention as locals like Izzy told me it used to. I arrived at the rink to find all kinds of different cars in the parking lot. That was new. Usually Darcy, Jane, and I were the only ones. I parked hesitantly and dropped onto the road with a thud. I shared a glance with Loki as we walked towards the building. I opened the doors to find all the Avengers inside, including Pete and Logan, two people I haven't seen in a long time.

"Hey Evee!" Pepper greeted from the counter, where she was buying her own skates.

"Evee!" Pete exclaimed, hugging me tight. "Geez, it's been forever, hasn't it?" I nodded with a smile.

"Hey kid," Logan said, ruffling my hair. Although his voice was gruff, the smile on his face and the look in his eyes told me he missed me. Logan was something of a father figure to me...sometimes.

"How are the X-Men?" I asked curiously.

"They're doing good, still grieving over the Professor." I nodded in understanding. I had met the Professor before, because Logan thought that my talent with technology was a mutant power. It wasn't. Still, I was just as sad when I discovered Professor X had passed. I spotted Darcy and patted Logan's arm, Loki following me like a lost puppy as I bought us skates and sat down next to my best friend.

"Hey, you're that dude from last night, right?" she asked in Loki's direction. The man nodded, and he seemed nervous. Jane rolled up to us, smiling.

"Hey Ev."

"Hey Jane. Darcy, Jane, this is Loki." Jane's smile disappeared and Darcy's seemed to crack. Loki fiddled with his hands.

"Hey Evee, let's go out into the rink."

"Um...okay." She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the rink the moment I finished tying my shoes. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Jane sitting next to Loki. Then, two blue eyes appeared in my line of vision.

"What are you looking at?" Steve questioned curiously. I shook my head with a smile.

"Nothing important." I did a lap around the rink and smirked as I saw Clint up ahead. Picking up speed, I leaped forward and onto his back. "Tag, you're it!" I hopped down and sped away. "No tag backs!" I called over my shoulder. Soon the rink was filled with "tag!" and "shit!" and other words I didn't completely pick up. I laughed and leaned back against the wall, which was home base. Sighing, I looked over to where Jane and Loki were. Jane was standing, a look of absolute pain on her face. I stood straight at this, watching her walk out of the rink. I skated out of the circle and stopped in front of Loki. "What did you say to her?" I demanded. He looked up at me, his expression one of guilt and confusion.

"I...I thought she knew," he murmured. Worried at this, I took off my skates and ran, in my socks, as fast as I could out of the building.

"Jane!" I called and she turned. I ran up to her, gripping her shoulders. "What's wrong, Jane?" I heard Darcy and Loki arguing behind me, but kept my eyes on Jane.

"Do you know who he is?" she whispered, her eyes flicking behind me for a moment. "Who he _really_ is?" I looked at her in confusion.

"What are you talking about? What's wrong, Jane?"

"Ev, you don't know him as well as you think you do," she whispered, then wiggled out of my grasp and started towards her car. I felt a whoosh of air as Darcy darted past me. She gripped Jane by the shoulders and shook her hard. Finally, Jane broke down and started crying. Darcy held her tight, giving me a "what the hell?" look. I turned to Loki, seething.

"C'mon," I said gruffly, grabbing his arm and yanking him back into the building.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, more out of shock than pain. I placed our skates on the counter and laced up my shoes, dragging him out of the building without saying goodbye to the others. "Where are we going?"

"Who are you?" I asked suddenly, stopping next to our car.

"I am Loki." My eyes narrowed and I stepped closer.

"What more than that?" I asked slowly. He sighed through his nose and gave me a desperate look. I scoffed and shook my head. "You can walk home. It's not two and 'three quarters' of an hour long." My tone was mocking, but not the good kind, and Loki kind of winced. I climbed into my car, slamming the door shut and turning the key in the ignition. I pulled out of the parking lot and left Loki in the dust, speeding back to my house. Once inside, I stretched out across the couch and rested the crook of my elbow on my eyes. I sat like that for a while, nearly asleep, when the door opened. I removed my arm and scowled, putting my arm back. I felt him sit silently on the other side of the couch. After a moment or two, I stretched out my legs and rested my feet in his lap. He didn't protest, just sat there like a statue.

"Are you going to give me the silent treatment forever?" he finally asked. I didn't respond, and he sighed. "I want to tell you, Evee, I really do. It's just...I'm not sure how to word it without making you panic." Finally, I removed my arm and propped myself up on my elbows, looking at him. "I did not mean to intentionally hurt Jane. I just told her something that I thought she already knew." He gave me a look that meant not to ask, so I didn't. Eventually I sat up and sat next to him, pulling my knees to my chest. I rested my arms on my knees and my chin on my arms.

"I just want to understand," I whispered, not looking at the man next to me.

"And you will, in due time I'm sure. Eventually I'll find a way to tell you everything." I nodded absently, looking out of the window. "Please don't be angry with me." I felt a cold, hesitant hand on my back. An icy feeling spread throughout my body, but still I impulsively leaned closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. He went stiff, as if unsure what to do. After several moments, though, he relaxed slightly and his hand moved up to my shoulder. We sat like that until I felt my eyelids begin to droop. He must have noticed, because he placed an arm under my legs and picked me up.

I incoherently mumbled something along the lines of, "I can walk." The only response I got was a deep chuckle. He carried me into my room and set me down on my bed, pulling the covers over me.

"Goodnight Evee," he mumbled softly, but I was already drifting away.


	4. Photographs and the Truth

**Wanted to get this up before school. It's shorter than I would've liked, but I felt like it would be appropriate to end it there.**

"You're an asshole!"

"I love you too!"

I scowled and threw my notebook at Clint, who dodged it with a laugh. "You're going to have to do better than that!" So, I continued to pelt him with objects from my desk, until all that was left was the computer. The others were watching with amused expressions.

Jane still hadn't showed up for work, and Darcy explained that she still wasn't feeling well. I sighed and blew a piece of hair from my face, frowning. This only amped up my curiosity as to what Loki had told her two days ago. I kept pestering the man to tell me who he was, but he wouldn't budge. "I'm still thinking of how to explain it," he kept saying.

Steve eventually gathered all the objects I had thrown and brought them back to my desk with a grin. I smiled, but it disappeared as Tony approached my desk.

"Hey Evee, can you do a background check on someone?" I stared at him, expressionless, and he rolled his eyes. "Please?" I cracked my knuckles and turned to my computer, bringing it to life with the simple click of a button.

"Who are you stalking this time?" I asked dryly, bringing up the S.H.I.E.L.D index. I vaguely noticed the glare he sent my way.

"Victor von Doom." I looked up at him.

"Doom? Why do you need a check on him?" Tony gave me a "you better drop the subject now" look and I sighed. "Nobody ever tells me anything anymore." Still, my fingers flew across the keys at record speed, bringing up Doom's profile in a matter of seconds. "He's a genius, basically." Tony scoffed. "Of course, Tony, he's not as smart as you." I rolled my eyes. "I can send you the file if you'd like." He nodded. "What's the magic word?"

"Don't make me say it again." My eyebrow arched and I turned my head slightly, turning my ear towards him. He released something dangerously close to a growl. "Please?" he mumbled.

"Now was that so hard?" I smirked at the look on his face and sent the file with three clicks on the keyboard. "Yeah, you're welcome!" I called to his retreating back.

"I think your pencil poked me in the eye," Clint groaned, holding his eye as he walked past. I laughed and turned back to my computer. I pulled up my chat and requested Jane. My fingers bounced delicately off the keys as I typed.

_techgeek27: Hey, you feeling any better?_ Above my typing space said, "womanofscience35105 is writing..." followed by a little pencil moving in a fashion similar to writing.

_womanofscience35105: Sort of, my head still hurts._ I automatically knew she was lying.

_techgeek27: Bullshit._ There was nothing for a moment. My index finger tapped the spacebar impatiently, my eyes fixated on that blasted pencil icon.

_womanofscience35105: Alright, you caught me. I just feel...overwhelmed at the moment._ I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I thought for a moment. _Oh, fuck it._

_techgeek27: What did Loki tell you? _Once again, I was left staring at the pencil icon as Jane probably wrote and erased for the few minutes I sat in a sort of numb trance.

_womanofscience35105: Do you know who he is yet?_

_techgeek27: No, the bastard is relentless._

_womanofscience35105: Then I'll let him explain. _I sighed in frustration, running a hand through my hair. Dammit, Jane!

_techgeek27: Ugh, fine. I'd better get off this before Coulson sees. Laters._

I closed the chat window and drummed my fingers on the space bar, staring at the S.H.I.E.L.D homepage. I saw the button that said "photos" and guided my mouse over there, clicking it. I scrolled down until I spotted the link for the pictures of the armor I had taken. Clicking that, I rested my chin in my hand as I scrolled through the pictures. I clicked the chest shot, admiring how well I took that. I've never been the photographer, but this picture was pretty damn good. I looked at the burn marks. If my calculations were correct, the two burns on the owner should be right over the heart and right...above...the abs.

Suddenly, the gears in my head sprang to life. Slightly beginning to panic, I went back to the main list and clicked the picture of the arms. There were holes running down the length of both of them. No. It wasn't possible. The owner of this armor should be dead, lying in the desert somewhere. He shouldn't be currently sitting in my house. My fingers were a blur as they flew across the keyboard, printing the picture of the full suit of armor, including the cape. I went back to the homepage and stuffed the picture into my bag, standing abruptly.

"Going somewhere?" Clint asked but I ignored him, all but sprinting out of the encampment and to my car. I drove as fast down the road as I could, pulling into the driveway in record time. I burst through the door, and Loki looked up from his spot on the couch. Seeing the look on my face, he stood and quickly closed the distance between us with his long strides.

"Evee, what's wrong?" I pulled the picture from my bag and held it out in front of him. He went rigid, going paler than he already was, if that was possible. He didn't say a word. He didn't have to. The expression of shock and timidity on his face told me everything I need to know. "Evee..."

"You should be dead," was all I said, jabbing his chest with my finger. "With a fall like the one I expect you had, you should be lying in a ditch somewhere." He was quiet. Eerily quiet. I don't even think he was breathing.

"I can explain," he said after several minutes of just staring at each other. "Please, take a seat. You won't be able to hear this story while standing." I sat down at the counter and Loki stood on the other side, resting his hands on it. "My name is Loki. I'm a God. The Norse God of Mischief, more specifically." I felt my eyebrow arch.

"Yeah...right." Suddenly, Loki disappeared. Like the screen of a TV when it's turned off.

"It's true," a voice said behind me and I jumped, turning in my seat to find the real Loki walking out from behind a wall. "I can do magic, teleport, and astral project myself."

"O...kay...that doesn't explain the armor and what you're doing here." He sat on the barstool next to me, pushing his hair back out of his face.

"Well, I was raised in Asgard, but I wasn't born there. I had always known that I was different, but I didn't know how. Then I discovered that I was part Jotun, a race of Frost Giants and probably the biggest nemesis to the Asgardians," I nodded slightly to let him know I was listening, "after discovering this, I made many mistakes that I regret, including trying to destroy my brother, Thor." My eyes widened. "The reason Jane was so upset at the roller rink was because Thor promised he would return to Jane. But I had tried to destroy Jotunheim with the Bifrost, which is what used to get us from our realm to yours. So in order to save Jotunheim, Thor shattered the bridge connecting Asgard and the rest of the nine realms, bringing the Bifrost down with it." My face fell. So that's why Jane is so depressed. "I had assumed that Jane already knew, but obviously that wasn't the case."

I sat back in my seat, absorbing all the information he had just told me. "So, you're a Norse god."

"Yes."

"And you tried to destroy your home planet and your brother."

"...yes..."

"That doesn't explain how you got here."

"Well, when the Bifrost shattered, Thor and I were launched off of it. Thankfully, our father showed up just in time. I was holding onto my staff, but slipping fast. I could tell my father would never forgive me, so...I let go of the staff and followed the Bifrost." I bit back a gasp, but couldn't stop my hands from flying to my face. He wasn't looking at me. He was staring at the counter, his hands clasped tightly. His head snapped up in surprise when I reached over and took his folded hands in mine.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. A small smile crossed his face.

"Thank you, Evee. Your concern is noted." I released his hands, but he quickly reached forward and took them again. I looked up in shock, but found him staring at our hands. "Forgive me for being forward," he murmured, "but I haven't held such warm hands in a long time." Quickly getting over my surprise, I leaned forward and rested my forehead on his shoulder, closing my eyes. He sighed in what sounded like content, resting his head against mine. We sat like that for I don't know how long, just being in each other's personal space. Normally, I would have a problem with people being so close and vice-versa, but I didn't seem to mind with Loki. He was just so cold. I could feel it radiating off of him. At least now I knew why.

After what seemed like hours, I finally pulled back and gently tugged my freezing hands out of his. I didn't let him know I was cold, though. I didn't want him to become sad, or worry. I walked over and sat down on the couch. Loki followed, sitting next to the arm so that he could rest his arm on it. I grabbed the TV remote and found myself stretched across the couch with my head on Loki's lap. After a moment he raised my head, setting it back down on a soft pillow. I scrolled through the channels, feeling Loki's hand in my hair. Somehow during that time, Loki began absentmindedly stroking my hair and I found my mind slowly drifting away.


	5. Burgers and Coulson

"Okay," I said, walking into the house with a bag of food from Izzy's, "so since I haven't seen you eat at all in the time you've been here, I thought I'd bring you some food." I set the bag on the table and peeked inside. "I got you a burger and-oh my God, Loki!" My purse clattered to the floor as I dashed into the living room, where Loki was sprawled out on the floor. I knelt at his side. "Loki, c'mon man talk to me!" I gently brushed his hair out of his face, running the back of my fingers down his cold cheek. "Loki..." I gasped as a hand shot out and gripped my wrist tight. Loki's eyes snapped open and when he saw who he was holding, he quickly let go and sat up.

"My apologies, Evee. I had just been in Asgard. I wasn't exactly welcome with open arms." I tilted my head to the side curiously. "Well, let's just say you should be glad it was just my astral projection. Your touch startled me back to my body, it seems. Although I'm not sure how I got on the floor," he added in a quiet voice, looking around.

"You shouldn't scare me like that," I muttered firmly, smacking him with my scarf. "I thought something had happened."

"You were worried about me?" he asked, his voice mimicking shock. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh haha, very funny." I stood and he followed suit. "I brought you some food, if you're hungry." He nodded and followed me to the table. "I got you a burger, a shake, and some French fries." I handed him his food. "And everything is handmade by Izzy herself. I swear, she has the best food ever." He held up a French fry, staring at it curiously. "That's a fry. A salty potato dipped in boiling oil. Go on, eat it." I popped my own fry into my mouth as he gingerly took a bite.

"It's not terrible," he murmured, eating the rest of it before unwrapping his burger. "And this?"

"That is cow meat grilled to juicy perfection, with cheese and lettuce and tomatoes and ketchup, which is made with tomatoes." He took a hesitant bite of that, and the expression that crossed his face made me laugh.

"This is very good. Are they like this everywhere?" I shook my head.

"God no. Some restaurants make terrible burgers. But Izzy cooks 'em with love." He smirked and then pointed to the shake. "That is milk with sugar and chocolate and ice that's stirred until it's nice and thick. I call it heaven. Izzy makes them thicker than others, though," I added, stifling a giggle as I watched him try to sip it from the straw.

"It's very...sweet. Volstagg would certainly like all this. Especially the meat." He threw me a grin and I smiled.

"What did you go to Asgard for?" I asked curiously, taking a bite of burger. A pained look crossed his face. "No, never mind. Forget I asked."

"No, no, it's quite alright. I went to see how my family was doing. Unfortunately, I appeared in the middle of the feast." He shook his head. "I had no idea that people brought their weapons with them to feasts." I gave him a sympathetic smile. "You brought me back to Midgard before they could attack, thank Odin."

"Was everyone okay though? Like, in general?"

"Yes, Thor was fine." I blushed as he caught the meaning of my words.

"That wasn't what I meant," I lied, "but that's good. Jane will be happy to hear that." He nodded in agreement.

"How...how is Jane?" I looked down at my food.

"I wouldn't know. She still hasn't shown for work. I'm starting to get worried." He didn't respond, and we finished our meal in silence. Sneaking a glance at Loki, I saw a faraway look in his eyes. My head tilted to the side as I watched him stare at the wall, chewing slowly on a French fry. Suddenly, his eyes flickered over to me and he smirked. Startled, a deep blush made my cheeks grow hot and I quickly looked down at my food again, poking at my burger with a fry. "So...what do you want to do today?" His shoulders rose and fell in a small shrug.

Suddenly not feeling hungry, I wrapped everything except my drink in the wax paper the burger came in, then dropped it into the bag that I would later trash. I peeled off my outer layers of clothing, draping them over the computer desk chair as I plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV. I felt the couch sink beside me as I flipped through channels.

"You're nervous."

"What makes you say that?"

"I've told you already." Before I could react, he was right next to me, his breath rustling my hair. "I'm very talented at reading people."

"I'm probably nervous because you're so fucking close. Personal space, man," I countered quietly, although my heart was pounding in my ears. I didn't dare turn to look at him, to see how close we were. That would just make everything worse. There was a soft chuckle in my ear and the cushions rustled as he moved away from me. I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding and continued flipping through channels. A loud gasp involuntarily left my body as I was suddenly flipped onto my back, cold hands pinning my wrists down.

"Tell me, why do you become nervous when I'm so, how did you put it, fucking close?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he leaned down so close our noses were touching. My breathing was erratic by now, my cheeks burning from the blush that was on them. My eyes felt wider than disks, and he smirked. Oh my fucking _God_, he had the sexiest smirk I had ever seen.

_Knock, knock._ Loki froze, and I made a move to get up. "Leave it be," he whispered, "eventually they'll go away."

_Knock, knock. Ding-dong._

"Evee?" I looked at Loki.

"It's Jane," I whispered and he released me. I gently pushed him off of me and practically sprinted to the door, throwing it open. I smiled with relief to see that Jane was alright, and pulled her into a hug.

"It's good to see you too," she laughed, hugging me back.

"I was so worried! Are you feeling better now?" I asked and she nodded. "Good. What did you want?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "They didn't give me a choice." I opened my mouth to question her words when Coulson appeared in the doorway, with two other S.H.I.E.L.D agents. My breathing stopped altogether and my hand gripped the doorknob so tightly my joints ached.

"Miss Thomas," Coulson greeted, and I didn't like the way he said it. Like I was just another victim, not someone he's been working with for bordering on three years now. "Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?"

"I...sure." I opened the door a little wider, throwing away the food from Izzy's. They sat around the kitchen table, and when I glanced at the couch I saw that Loki was gone. _Good, he _soo _does not need to be pulled into this._

"Miss Thomas, yesterday you printed a picture of a suit of armor you were assigned to document. Now, in case it wasn't obvious, these pictures were labeled above top secret."

"Oh? Well you should really put that on the S.H.I.E.L.D page, where the link was put," I replied snarkily, and Jane bit her lip to hide her smile. Coulson looked slightly irritated.

"What did you do with those pictures?" he demanded, his voice more stern than I'm used to. I sat back in my seat, slightly surprised.

"I..." I racked my brain for a reasonable answer, but didn't even need to.

"I asked to see them." I turned and my face fell as Loki appeared from behind a wall. _No! Don't get caught up in this, Loki! Go back before it's too late._

"And who are you?"

"I'm Loki. Evee offered me shelter after finding me on the street. She told me about her assignment and-"

"Wait, you told him?" Coulson asked, his voice rising.

"Only because I asked," Loki was quick to interject. "She seemed rather upset when she came home, and I wouldn't stop pestering her about it. It's technically my fault, not Evee's." I gave him a panicked look, which he blatantly ignored.

"I still have the picture," I quickly said. "Loki is the only person that knows about it." I stood and walked over to my bag, pulling it out. I held it out to Coulson, who took it. Loki appeared next to me, his hand lightly touching my back. "How much trouble am I in?" Coulson sighed through his nose, looking between us.

"None, this time," he added when a grin spread across my face. "Next time I might not be so generous." I nodded and he left with the other agents.

"Evee I'm so sorry," Jane started to say, but I shook my head.

"Don't, I understand." She nodded and left as well, shutting the door behind her. I turned to face Loki.

"Are you okay? You look rather pale."

"I'm fine. Thank you for that." He simply nodded in response. "Why did you do it?"

"I'll let you know when I figure it out," he replied with a sheepish grin, and I smiled. "Now, what are we to do next?"

**Awwness, little bit of Loki and Evee cuteness at the end. Go and check out Loki's Little Helper, would ya? She wrote this awesome Loki story called "Grounded" and its sequel is equally awesome. Please go read it, because she's an awesome writer and reviewer!**

**I would also like to thank Ikuni Hattori and LoneAngel666, their reviews make me so happy when I get home from a long day of school. Reviews = love, my dearies. Don't be a hater =)**


	6. Lullabies

**So, I've decided to give you all a little treat. This is going to be a Loki chapter, woohoo! It probably** **won't be very long; it's mostly a filler. There will be other Loki POV chapters, or snippets, perhaps, but this is just to test out writing from a guy's point of view. The title of the chapter is worded differently because it's from Loki's POV.**

"Cursed keys," I muttered, close to growling as I fiddled with the small metal objects Evee called "keys". Apparently they were required to open her front door. But honestly, I would've rather used magic. There were about five different keys on the "key chain" Evee had given me, and none of them were labeled. Unfortunately, I didn't have much access to magic in Midgard. I had almost used up my fair share. Finally, I found what I assumed to be the right one and slid it into the lock. Pleased to find that it was the correct one, I turned it to the right and felt the click as the door unlocked. I gripped the doorknob and turned it. Opening the door, I was welcomed to the sound of music coming from the main room. The living room, I believe the mortals called it. It was dark, the only light being candles spread out across the area. The song was gentle to the ears, as was the voice. I closed the door as quietly as I could.

I entered the area between the end of the counter and the wall, the makeshift doorway to the living room, to find Evee spread out on the rug, her legs bent at the knees and her hands folded on her stomach. Her eyes were closed, a small smile playing on her lips. My eyes narrowed. Okay, I understood the position, but why on the floor? Was this a Midgardian custom?

"Do I even _want_ to know?" I asked and Evee's eyes opened. She raised just her head and gave me a bright smile. That immediately made my befuddled expression disappear, and I returned the smile ten-fold. How _does_ she do that to me? All she has to do is smile and I suddenly feel as if I've gone to Valhalla. All other emotions cease to exist, only extreme giddiness. Not even Sigyn had possessed the ability to affect me in such a way.

"Hey Loki!" she greeted cheerfully, scrambling to her feet. She strode to the small alcove above the fireplace, reaching towards what was labeled an "iHome". She pressed a button on the small, square electronic device, and the music stopped, then she began turning on the lights and blowing out the candles. I set the keys on the counter and pulled off my coat, draping it over the back of the chair. She positioned herself on a stool, resting her elbow on the counter and her chin in her hands. I proceeded to shrug out of my suit jacket and loosen my tie, rolling up my sleeves to my elbows. "How was Santa Fe?" My face twisted up and she giggled.

"Please, don't remind me." I walked to the couch and sat down. She soon joined me, turning so that she was facing me. Her legs criss-crossed over each other and she stared at me with an eager expression. I stopped rubbing my temples to look at her curiously. "Why on Asgard are you looking at me like that?"

"So?" she asked, leaning towards me as she dragged out and enunciated the word. "Did you find a job?"

"No," I muttered, sinking lower into my seat out of shame. "All the mortals here are half-wits."

"Hey!" I smirked at her, not even wincing as she punched my arm.

"Except you, _of course_." She made a face and hit me again. "There were all these documents and information they wanted me to give out. I don't even have a false name yet! Did you know I have to have a card of identification?" Her eyes widened and she blushed deeply.

"Oh damn. I'm so sorry; I completely forgot to get you an ID! We'll get you one as soon as possible." I tensed as she was suddenly leaning against me, clinging onto my arm. "Please don't hate me." My heartbeat suddenly picked up, going at a speed no mortal could properly function with. I felt my face growing hot as she nuzzled the side of her face into my shoulder. Finally realizing that she was probably expecting an answer, I awkwardly patted the top of her head.

"Oh please, Evee. I don't think I could ever hate you." She raised her head and pulled back from my arm, grinning widely at me. I felt the corners of my lips pulling up in response. Damn it, stop! Stop acting like this! I will not end up like Thor, becoming soft-hearted for a _mortal_. Please! Mortals were animals. They were impolite, arrogant, dim-witted fools who wouldn't know Hermes from Apollo!

But yet, here was Evee, staring at me with this bright, determined fire that I had realized was always in her silvery-blue eyes. The complete opposite of that description. Well, I suppose she could be a bit impolite, but she always made up for it with that beautiful smile-

I mentally slapped myself. I need to stop thinking like this. When I first crashed onto Earth, I had climbed out of that crater on a mission. Now here I was, completely unsure of what to do next.

"Well good!" she said, snapping me out of my trance. "I was starting to get worried for a second." I smiled a little, leaning back against the sofa cushions.

"Why were you lying on the carpet, anyway?"

"Oh, it's how I meditate." My eyebrows shot up. "I lie down on the rug and listen to some peaceful tunes."

"That was a very calming song, though the words were rather depressing."

"Yeah, it's _Apologies _by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. It is pretty sad, I suppose." She looked over at me, smiling coyly. "Would you like to meditate with me?" One eyebrow lowered, but the other kept its arched position.

"Um…."

"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. I can never get over how warm her hands were, despite having been living with her for almost two weeks now. I suppose I just wasn't used to holding a normal person's hand; I had forgotten how warm other people are. "Help me move this table." I sighed, giving her a look. "Come on, Loki! You have to relax!" Finally I gave in, rolling my eyes and helping her move the table closer to the fireplace. "Now, lie down and relax." I gave her another look before stretching myself out on the carpet. I rested a hand behind my head and placed my other hand on my stomach. My eyes followed Evee as she turned off all the lights and relit the candles before approaching the iHome and standing in front of it for a moment. Finally, she took her place next to me, resuming her previous position. Music began to play, starting off with a soft guitar intro.

_Days feel hard earned  
>Night grows longer<br>Summer says its goodbyes  
>And darkness covers<br>We find shelter  
>Our own place to hide….<em>

I found myself growing tired, and smirked as I heard Evee already softly sleeping, her breaths deep and regular. Finally deciding to relax, I sighed and let my eyes close.

…_As the night comes in  
>Dreams start their drifting<br>And you hear  
>A lullaby….<em>

**Well, what did you think? Was it good for a Loki chapter? Or did I completely screw up and should just quit now before it gets worse?**

**Song is Lullaby by OneRepublic. It's beautiful, I highly recommend it.**

**Remember, reviews = love. This is no place for haters.**


	7. Norse Gods and a Reunion

**This takes place a week or so after chapter six.**

_CRASH! Thud._

I bolted upright in bed with a gasp. The hell was that? It was early; the sun had barely started peeking over the horizon. I swiped the taser from my nightstand and turned it on, holding it out in front of me as I padded out of my bedroom in my silk shorts and tank top. My hair was pulled back in a ponytail, a few loose curls falling in my face.

Yeah...if it weren't for the taser, I probably wouldn't look very intimidating.

"Loki?" I squeaked out, slowly walking past the wall that blocked off the kitchen, where the crash had come from. "Is that you?" After hearing nothing but heavy breathing and groans, I placed my finger on the trigger. "Loki, this isn't funny. If you jump out at me I will shoot you." I peeked into the kitchen and saw a figure on their hands and knees, struggling to breathe. This person was way too...meaty to be Loki, but I could tell they needed help. I set my taser on the floor and knelt at the person's side. "Hey, what happened?" I placed a gentle hand on their back.

Their hand suddenly whipped out, closing around my hand in an iron grip. I cried out in pain as my knuckles rubbed together. "Help...me..." The person was able to croak out.

"Evee!" The person suddenly flew back against the cabinets, releasing my hand. I took a deep, shaky breath as I cradled my hand against my chest. Cold hands gripped my upper arms and pulled me back. I was turned and could only see pale skin and green eyes in the darkness. Loki took my face in his hands, looking me over. "Are you okay?" I nodded lightly, but he noticed my hand. "What hurts, Evee?" he questioned softly, taking my injured hand.

"All of it," I whispered, trying not to flinch. As gingerly as he could, he turned my hand over and brought his lips down on my palm. An icy feeling spread throughout my hand, the pain instantly relieved. "Thanks," I muttered, and was surprised to find myself being pushed behind him. Loki raised a closed fist and the person was suddenly in the air, clawing at his throat.

"Who are you?" the man in front of me demanded, and I tugged on his shirt.

"Loki, he's hurt," I murmured, but he didn't listen.

"State your business here!" The intruder was obviously trying to say something, and I strained my ears to hear.

"B...brother..." My eyes widened and Loki went rigid.

"Thor?" he asked incredulously and opened his hand. Thor dropped to the ground, gasping for air. Croaky coughs erupted from his chest and I shoved past Loki in order to run to his side.

"Hey, hey," I said soothingly, rubbing his back, "you need to calm down." After a while, he was breathing normally. "Loki, turn on the lights." There were footsteps and soon the lights were on. Thor looked up at me, and I smiled reassuringly. He had cuts just about everywhere. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up." I took his massive arm and grunted as I hauled him to his feet and dragged him to a chair. Once he sat down, I hurried to the cabinet and grabbed my first aid kit.

"What is your name?" he asked in a deep voice as I began cleaning his wounds.

"Evee, Evee Thomas."

"Well, Evee Thomas, thank you for your help. I'm eternally grateful."

"You better be," I teased and he grinned. "Are you really Thor?" He nodded hesitantly. I bit down on my lip. "Jane misses you terribly." He avoided my eyes, instead looking at Loki. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that any trace of color had been drained from his face, and he was rubbing his lip thoughtfully. Huh. Something we have in common, it seems.

"How...how did you get here?" Loki whispered and I turned my gaze back to Thor curiously.

"Heimdall and others were-ouch!" I mouthed "sorry" and continued dabbing the cut on his cheek. "Heimdall and others were able to construct a small Bifrost, only capable of sending one person through. Obviously, their aiming was a little off." I chuckled and placed a small bandage on that cut. I gathered the used cotton balls in my hand, dumping them into the trash.

"Why are you here, anyway?"

"To see Jane. And you, of course," he added in Loki's direction. "After seeing you at the feast, knowing you were alive and well, I couldn't _not_ try to find you. But, the Bifrost Heimdall built only works one way. I have no idea on how to get back home."

"Jane's working on that," I quickly said and Thor looked at me curiously. "She's been trying to create her own wormhole to get to Asgard." His eyebrow arched at this. "So far, she's doing really well." He smiled.

"That's my Jane."

"You should rest," I said, helping him up. "As soon as you wake up, I'll take you to see her." He nodded and I led him to the couch, because I finally got around to moving those boxes out of Eddie's room, so that's where Loki was staying. I grabbed the blanket draped over the back of the couch and handed it to him. "Make sure you sleep." He nodded and spread the blanket out over himself, his eyes closing. Somehow, Loki and I ended up lying on my bed, with my legs tucked under the covers.

"How's your hand?" he asked, taking it to examine.

"It feels fine now." I noticed the look on his face and lightly bumped his shoulder with mine to get his attention. "What's wrong? Don't give me that look; I know something's bothering you." He sighed and began to play with my fingers. Well, that was new.

"I know Thor almost as well as I know myself," he said quietly. "When he goes back to Asgard, he's going to want me to come with him." I blinked, slightly saddened by this fact.

"Oh. Well, I thought you would be happy that you get to go back home."

"I'm not. You should've seen the looks on everyone's faces when I projected myself into that feast. I'll be just as big of an outcast as I was before. But it's not like I have a choice."

"Everyone has a choice, Loki," I said softly and he looked at me. I could tell that my words had hit him hard, judging by the look on his face. "It's what choice you pick that makes you who you are." A corny line, I know, but it related. "You _could_ choose not to go to Asgard, but what kind of person would that make you?"

"A not dead person." I rolled my eyes, pushing him a little. He chuckled, and then scrunched his nose up. How cute, he looked similar to a bunny. "And besides, Father must hate me after everything I'd done." I frowned and he ran a hand through his hair, sighing.

"You don't know that." He looked up. "I just happen to know from experience that it doesn't matter what you do, your parents will always love you." I took his other hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "I think," I said slowly, watching him for a reaction, "that you should go to Asgard and talk to him. And your mother as well. Because as talented as you claim you are at reading people, I'll bet my ridiculous government salary that you have no idea what they're feeling right now." I took a deep breath. "It's obvious they thought you were dead. This might have made them forgive your mistakes." He pursed his lips, letting his head rest against the headboard.

"I strongly dislike you right now." I smiled a little.

"Only because you know I'm right." I yawned and he looked down at me.

"You should rest; you were up late last night." I nodded and settled comfortably in his arms. He wrapped one around my shoulders and another around my waist, pulling me close to him. I rested my head on his chest and he rested his head on the top of mine. The cold radiating from his body, while it used to be near unbearable, was now a comforting feeling. It let me know that I wasn't alone in this boring old house anymore. I barely heard his murmured goodnight; I was already drifting away.

**xxxxOxxxx**

My eyes fluttered open. Sunlight was streaming in my room from in between the curtains, casting shadows on my wall. I watched the beams of light hit the tacky wallpaper, illuminating the floral patterns. My mother had picked that wallpaper, even though I had begged her not too. Eventually it had grown on me.

"It's about Evee, isn't it?" My ears perked up at this, and it was then I realized that Loki wasn't in the bed with me like he had been last night. I quietly kicked off the covers and tip-toed to the closed door, leaning back against the wall.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Loki's voice said defensively from under the door. "Maybe I just don't want to go back to Asgard." I rolled my eyes at this. Even after my totally awesome, inspiring speech, he still didn't want to go back.

"Oh please, brother," Thor's deep voice boomed, "I saw you two this morning before you woke. I saw how tightly you were holding onto her. It's the same way I once held onto Jane. You care about her, Loki. You just don't want to accept it." Loki didn't respond, and I felt a blush creep onto my features.

"I'm going to see if she's awake," he mumbled and I quickly, but quietly, hurried into the bathroom, closing the door silently. I turned on the faucet water just as the bedroom door opened, and I was running my toothbrush under the water when the bathroom door opened. "Good morning Evee," he greeted me with a small smile, placing a hand on my back and kissing my forehead. The cold lingered for a moment, and my eyebrow arched.

"You're especially touchy-touchy this morning. Did I miss something?" He blushed deeply and stuttered over a response. "Dude, chill. I was only teasing." He gave me a sheepish grin and I smiled.

"Good morning Evee!" Thor greeted boisterously, ruffling my hair.

"You're both very touchy-touchy this morning. Seriously, what did I miss?" The two brothers glanced at each other, and I rolled my eyes. "I need to shower. Uh buh-bye." I closed the door in their faces and shook my head with a smile. After my shower, I stealthily grabbed my clothes and snuck back in, changing into a t-shirt and jeans. I put my hair into its usual side-braid, walking into the living room. I looked at Thor in his armor, my nose scrunching. "I think I might have something for you," I murmured, bouncing my finger in the air in his direction. I dug through my brother's clothes, tossing him a plain t-shirt, a plaid shirt, and jeans. "Now hurry and change!" I exclaimed with a grin, shoving him into Loki's bedroom. "Today's a big day." I shut the door in his face and turned on my heel with a giddy smile, all but dancing over to Loki. He watched with a smirk.

"I assume you're so excited about Jane and Thor's reunion?" I nodded.

"God, she's going to be so happy to see him again!" I took his hands and pulled him off the bar stool, twirling the two of us around the room. "And she's going to love me forever and we'll be BFFs." He laughed, spinning me around. I landed in the kitchen and stopped spinning, frowning as I looked up at the gaping hole in the ceiling.

"Man, now I'm gonna have bats." The door opened and I was practically bouncing with excitement as Thor walked out. "Actually, I think those are my dad's clothes. Whatever, come on!" I took their hands and dragged them out to my car. Thor hopped into the back seat and I could practically feel the Jeep sink under his weight. But it didn't matter, because Thor had the largest, most adorable smile on his face. Like a schoolboy reunited with his crush after a long summer. I drove to where I would find Jane's trailer, knowing she'd probably still be asleep.

"Where do you want me to hide?" Thor asked quietly and I pulled him around to the side of Jane's trailer, pressing a finger to my lips. He nodded. I then proceeded to bang on Jane's door.

"Evee, it is way too early for this," she groaned.

"Close your eyes," I ordered and she looked at me curiously. "Just do it, I have a surprise for you!" She sighed and closed her eyes. I then went about smoothing down her sleep-disheveled hair and covering her eyes with my hands for good measure. "DARCY! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE!" She exited the building, obviously having been awake. She spotted Thor and gasped.

"Oh my God!" She ran and gave him a big hug. Jane was obviously trying to see what was going on. "How did you-" Darcy went quiet at the look I gave her.

"Okay Jane, are you ready?"

"Um, I think so?" I took my hands from her eyes after placing her directly in front of Thor. For a moment, there was nothing. She was so shocked that she just stood there, frozen.

"Hello Jane," Thor whispered, tears welling in his eyes. Jane opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"Oh my God," she finally whispered. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she leapt into Thor's arms. She sobbed happily, pulling back far enough to kiss him fiercely. Once their makeout session was done, she turned and ran to me, practically suffocating me in a huge hug. "Thank you so much Evee. I'll never be able to repay you for this."

"I sure as hell hope not," I joked and she smiled. "And it actually wasn't me." Thor then went on to explain what had happened; also adding on how he had no way of getting home.

"I'm almost done with the formula for the wormhole," she informed us all. "Just a few more tweaks and it will be finished. Here, let me show you." The trio went inside, but I tugged on Loki's shirt to keep him here.

"Have you decided?" I asked in a low voice, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I have, and I'm not going." My face fell. "Not without you, anyway." I opened my mouth to argue, but he held up a finger. "I don't think I'll be able to face them without you."

"You have Thor-"

"I'm obviously not wording this correctly," he interrupted with a smile. "Evee, I _want_ you to come with me." I was quiet for a moment.

"Oh. Well in that case, definitely! Nothing says 'first date' like a trip to another world."

"What? What is this "date" term you speak of?" I rolled my eyes.

"C'mon, you big lug." I grabbed his arm and pulled him into the building.


	8. Star Trek and Asgard

**Hurray for Star Trek references!**

…**God, I'm such a nerd. I really need to get out more.**

"No, no, no, that's not going to work," I argued, playfully bumping Jane out of the way to hunch over the computer. "This goes on the other side. You'll probably end up on Vulcan instead of Asgard if you do it that way." Jane sent me a look. Loki and Thor were over by the corkboard, examining the pictures and data that Jane and Darcy had collected the first few months they spent searching for Thor. They wouldn't have gotten the reference, anyway.

"No, that's wrong too," Jane mumbled, pushing me out of the way. "Screw Vulcan, we'd probably end up on Klingon if we kept the equation like that."

"What is Klingon? And Vulcan, for that matter?" a voice said behind me and I giggled, looking over my shoulder at Loki.

"Pop-culture reference, ignore us."

"Ugh, nothing is worse than a pair of Trekkies," Darcy mumbled, making a face. "Nerds." Jane and I both made sounds of protest, throwing whatever was closest at her.

"Um, Evee." There was a tap on my shoulder and I turned to look at Thor. "I'll need my armor back."

"Alright, we'll go get it now." A horrifying realization hit me and I looked at Loki. "Oh shit."

"What?" he questioned, alarmed.

"Your armor, it's with S.H.I.E.L.D. Under _serious_ protection."

"Let me handle the guards," Thor said with a laugh.

"No, no, no, no, no, you don't get it. They have Captain America and the Hulk on their side. I'm not even kidding when I say that you will probably die if you try to take them on." The smile dropped from his face, and Jane nodded solemnly in agreement.

"I have a plan," Loki said suddenly. "I just need you to get me in there." I bit my lip, nodding.

"Alright. Darcy, take Thor back to my house and get him his armor. Jane, don't even take your eyes off of that equation." I turned to Loki.

"Let's go steal from S.H.I.E.L.D."

**xxxxOxxxx**

"I think it's safe to say that I'm so fired after this," I whispered as we walked through the encampment. So far no one found anything too suspicious. Loki squeezed my hand reassuringly. I spotted a familiar figure waiting by my desk. "I have an idea," I whispered, completely ignoring the fact that Loki also had a plan and walking up to Peter. "Pete," I said innocently and he looked at me.

"Oh hey Evee, I was wondering when you'd show up."

"You love me, right?" He stood straight, his expression contorting into one of worry.

"Of course, like a sister. Why?" I explained to him who Loki was and what we needed him to do. "Are you serious? I could get fired!"

"No, _I_ could get fired. You're part of the Avengers, you can't be touched. Please Pete. I really need you to do this for me." He looked from me to Loki. "Just a simple distraction to get the guards away from the door. You can even involve Clint, but only Clint. As much as I hate him, he's the only one I really trust in the Avengers besides you." Peter pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Alright, but if I get in trouble then I'm coming after you."

"Noted. Thank you so much Pete!" I hugged him around the waist before grabbing Loki's hand and pulling him down the hall. I looked over my shoulder and saw Peter walking over to Clint. "They've got this," I assured Loki. "If anyone can take care of it, it's those two." We stopped at the entrance to the hallway that led to Loki's armor. Peter and Clint walked past us, both of them winking. We watched as they "bumped" into each other and began arguing, throwing insults that I couldn't tell were faked or not. They started fighting down the hallways opposite the one that housed Loki's armor, and the guards quickly ran from their posts to break the pair up. "C'mon, we have to hurry," I whispered. We ran up to the door and I placed my thumb on it. Coulson must have forgotten to reprogram it, because it welcomed me with open arms (hypothetically). We slipped into the room and I made sure to mouth, "Thank you!" to the guys before the door closed.

I turned and saw Loki staring at his armor. "Are you okay?" I asked and he nodded.

"I just never thought I'd see this again," he whispered, running his finger over it.

"It's kind of funny," I murmured and Loki looked at me curiously. "Just a couple of weeks ago I walked into work expecting the day to be just like all the others. Now here I am, stealing from S.H.I.E.L.D in order to help my housemate, who just happens to be a Norse God." I looked over at him. "I think it's funny how so much can change in such a short amount of time."

"Tell me about it," he murmured. I leaned back against a wall as he began to change into his armor, staring at the wall. Wow, that was sort of funny. In not even 24 hours, my life had been completely turned upside down, and all because of one man. One very hot, very immortal, very _mischievous_ man. "Alright, we should be going." I looked over at him and found myself breathless. He looked so...regal in his armor. He had used his magic to patch up the holes and punch out the dents. Then I frowned.

"We can't just waltz out of here with you dressed like that! We'd get caught for sure!"

"I can teleport us out of here, but I'm not sure how far we'd get." He held out his icy hand and I took it, letting him pull me close. "I'll try and get us as far away as possible." I nodded.

"I trust you." He smiled gratefully and nodded. I buried my face in his shoulder, closing my eyes. There was the sudden feeling of something trying to pull every scrap of air I had, and I couldn't take another breath. I held on tight to whatever solid source I could find, gripping tightly onto the arm. It wrapped around my waist, pulling me in front of a solid object. We landed on the ground with a thud, and I sucked in a large, selfish gulp of air. I looked up and saw that I had landed on top of Loki. We had teleported right next to my car. I laughed in disbelief, looking at Loki. He was laughing as well, and I rested my forehead on his armor.

"Oh thank Odin," he whispered, holding me tight against him. After a moment of laying there, we stood and hopped into my car, driving back to "base" as we had decided to dub it. Darcy and Thor had already come back, and he was pacing worriedly.

"There you are!" he exclaimed, pulling both of us into a bone-crushing hug. "I was worried." I laughed when he released us.

"Alright, I finally figured it out!" Jane exclaimed, and I hurried to her side, looking at the equation as Thor and Loki admired each other's armor.

"Jane, I think this will actually work," I said with a hopeful smile. I walked back over to Loki as Jane began making the preparations for actually opening the wormhole. I reached up on my tiptoes in order to straighten his helmet. "Are you ready?" I asked softly.

"Will you be there?"

"Of course." He smiled.

"Then I'm ready." I smiled broadly, blushing. I placed my hands on his chest of armor, smiling nervously. There was a flash, and I looked behind me as the wormhole actually opened. Jane had done it! She'd actually done it! Thor took Jane and Darcy's hands and Loki held me close. I shut my eyes tight as I felt a pulling feeling on my stomach. And suddenly I was flying, Loki's arm tight around my waist. I didn't dare open my eyes, but just the sensation of flying was enough. Once again, we landed with me on top of him, but this time I quickly rolled off and scrambled to my feet. We were standing on a rainbow bridge that lit up every time we took a step. I pulled Loki up and looked at the sky. If you could even call it that. It was just raw, infinite, beautiful space.

"DARCY!" There was a scream and I turned, watching in horror as Darcy slipped and began falling off of the bridge.

"DARCY NO!" I shrieked, running to the edge of the bridge. Suddenly, a man appeared next to me and caught Darcy's wrist just in time. His mustache twitched as he smiled and pulled Darcy onto the bridge.

"Fandral," she laughed in relief, hugging him tightly. "It's good to see you again."

"And you as well, Miss Darcy," he greeted cordially, kissing the top of her hand. I felt Loki stand next to me and I took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. I saw three other people dressed similarly to this Fandral. A woman with black hair and hardened eyes, an Asian man with the coolest hair I've ever seen, and a round man with rust-colored hair.

"Thor!" the round man said loudly, hugging his friend. They all noticed Loki then, and I didn't like the looks they were giving him. Instinctively, I stood closer to him and they all looked at me.

"Hello Loki," the Asian man greeted quietly.

"Hogun," he replied politely. "Lady Sif, Volstagg. Hopefully we can put the past-"

_SMACK!_

I gasped as Lady Sif stepped back from Loki, a glaring red hand-print on his cheek.

"I deserved that," he muttered, stretching out his jaw.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I shouted, stepping in front of Loki. Everyone looked at me in shock. Loki placed a warning hand on my arm, but I pushed it away. "You don't just slap people like that! I thought you lot had more respect, but apparently it's only Loki and Thor!"

"Do you know what he did?" Lady Sif demanded, straightening to her full height. Oh dear God, she was tall.

"Yes, I do. He made a mistake, he was confused and alone. I know Thor forgives him." I stepped closer to Lady Sif. "Do you have any forgiveness in what is seeming to me to be a cold heart?" She seemed to visibly shrink at that, guilt in her eyes.

"Please Loki, I hope that you can forgive me for my actions," she murmured, bowing her head low.

"It's already forgotten," he said softly, but she wouldn't look at him.

"Jesus, and you call us the savages," I scoffed, taking Loki's hand and pulling him away from the group. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly, touching the red mark as lightly as I could.

"Yes, it only stings a little." He took my hands and kissed my forehead. "Thank you for that. It takes a great amount of courage to stand up to Lady Sif."

"Oh please, I've slapped people worse than her." He chuckled and took my hand. "Are you ready to see your family?"

"Yes, I do believe I am." A man with the most golden eyes I had ever seen, whom I soon realized was Heimdall, brought us horses, mine being a beautiful speckled brown and white horse. I rode alongside Loki, and we arrived at the castle not long later. I could tell he was nervous, so I grabbed his hand and tugged him down. Once he had bent over enough, I stood on my tip-toes and kissed his forehead.

"For good luck," I said with a smirk. He smiled broadly and we walked into the throne room, our fingers intertwined but hidden behind us as we walked up to the throne. The man in the chair looked old but wise, and the woman beside him looked very kind.

"Loki," the woman breathed and in a flash she was in front of him, wrapping her arms tight around him. Loki untied our fingers in order to hold his mother close. She pulled back after a moment, placing a hand on his cheek before returning to her spot by his father.

"Father," he said, bowing his head and kneeling with his fist placed over his heart. I followed out of respect, not knowing if the others did as well. "I do hope, with every bone in my body and every second in my immortal life, that you can forgive my mistakes and-" Loki never finished his sentence, because his father had walked down from the throne and made his son stand before hugging him tightly. Loki looked on the verge of tears, and I could feel tears swimming in my own eyes at the exchange. His father was letting tears stream down his cheeks. I stood as well, folding my hands in front of me with a small smile. They parted and his father looked at him with a smile.

"My son, I forgave your mistakes the moment you appeared at that feast." Loki took a shaky breath, glancing at me. I gave him an "I so told you" look and he smiled, looking back at his father. "And who is this?" I froze as his father turned to me.

"Um, Evee...sir. Evee Thomas." I curtsied, giving him a friendly smile.

"Heimdall tells me you helped my son when in need. Is this true?" I nodded hesitantly. "Then I welcome you into my home with open arms. As an honored guest." My eyelids fluttered and I opened my mouth, then closed it out of shock.

"Um...thank you, sir." He then moved past me and onto Jane and Darcy. I turned to look at Loki with pleasantly surprised eyes.

"Thank you, for helping convince me to do this." He leaned down and I lifted my head so he could reach my forehead easily, but, to my surprise, he dipped to the left and placed a sweet kiss on my cheek. My eyes widened and I blushed deeply, touching the spot on my cheek where the cold lingered.

"Loki, please show Evee to her temporary chambers." He nodded and placed a hand on the small of my back, leading me out of the throne room.

"Wow. Me? An honored guest? I never thought..."

"You deserve it," he whispered in my ear, his arm moving up to rest on my shoulders. After walking a while, we stopped in front of a door and he opened it. My hands flew up to my mouth and I looked at my room. There was a large, circular bed pushed against the wall and covered with a golden, embroidered blanket. A canopy made of sheer fabric hung around that, and several tapestries aligned the walls. The floor was made of carpet that looked soft enough to sleep on, and there was a couch sitting in the bottom right corner, with a bookshelf only a few steps away. There was another door that I assumed led to the bathroom. A ceiling-to-floor window covered the wall next to the door, giving me an amazing view of the "sky" that I love so much.

"This is beautiful, Loki," I whispered, stepping inside. I saw a wardrobe in a little alcove next to the bed. I could only assume, for the moment, that it was filled with Asgardian clothes. "I don't even care if I get fired from S.H.I.E.L.D." He chuckled as I walked forward, opening the canopy in order to sit on the bed. I looked over at Loki as he sat down next to me. I couldn't think of anything else to say to express just how...awed I felt at the whole situation. Loki took my hand, intertwining our fingers.

"Would...you like to stay?" he asked and I looked at him. "Permanently?" I reached up and rubbed my lip in thought. "Jane and Darcy have already decided to stay."

"That's a big offer, Loki. I still might have a job, and I have family in New York and it's all just-"

"No, I understand. There's too much down in Midgard."

"That's not what I meant. I...I'll have to think about it." He nodded, not looking at me. "That's not a no, Loki. Just a...maybe, I guess." He glanced at me, smiling lightly.

"I can live with a maybe. For now." I smiled and rested my head on his shoulder. We sat there for God knows how long, not saying or doing anything. And the longer we sat there, the more I considered accepting his offer. This could be a good life. A happy life. My eyes flickered to Loki and I's intertwined hands. A happy life with Loki.

Just the thought made me smile.

**It's so corny at the end! And fluffy! I think I have a cavity…**

**Remember, reviews = love. Nobody likes a hater.**


	9. Breakfast and Heimdall

I sighed as I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing down the Asgardian dress with a look of distaste. The top was a light blue silk with sleeves that hung off of my shoulders and went all the way to my wrists before stopping. The waistline stopped around my stomach area, and the rest was a light blue silk with a sheer fabric, similar to the canopy fabric, and if you looked close enough you could see that it was also a light blue color. It sashayed with every small movement, there was some royal blue embroidery on the top part, and I felt extremely uncomfortable in it, especially with the matching heels. I hated heels; I couldn't walk properly in them. I frowned at my hair. The long, white-blonde curls had been piled on top of my head, and the hand-maidens had let a few strands fall in my face. I had been in Asgard for a whole week now, and I still wasn't used to the fashion.

There was a knock on the door and Jane peeked her head in. "I feel like a princess," I pouted and she grinned, knowing that in my book that wasn't a good thing.

"I think you look lovely," she replied, walking to stand next to me. Her gown looked more similar to something I'd see in renaissance times, very poofy while mine was more medieval, and it was a mix of crème and ruby red. Darcy walked in as well. Actually, she sort of stumbled in.

"This will take a while to get used to," she grunted, gripping my couch to stay on her feet. Her gown was strapless, and the poofiness was in between Jane's and my own. She had decided to go with gold as the main color, and silver embroidery. We all had diamonds or some other sort of gem around our necks. The front of Jane's hair had been braided around her head like a crown, while the rest had been put into soft, natural looking barrel curls. Darcy, as usual, had her hair just down and plain, although I thought I could see thin little braids hidden in her large curls.

"I don't like how…busty it makes me look," I muttered, glancing at my chest with a scowl.

"My dress depends on my bust to keep it up," Darcy laughed and I rolled my eyes. "Jane, you look so much more elegant than the rest of us." Jane rolled her eyes, which looked almost amber in the Asgardian light.

"Aren't we just going to breakfast?" I asked incredulously, trying to raise the top of my dress.

"Dude, Loki's going to be ogling at you the whole meal," Darcy teased, elbowing me.

"Oh shut up. It was the first thing I saw, and it's too late to change." I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "Let's just get this over with, please." Jane smiled and Darcy and I locked arms in order to keep each other upright. We walked through the halls, many of the male servants stopping to stare at us. Eventually I got the hang of the heels, but Darcy kept a firm grip on my arm. We entered the dining room and it went quiet. I heard several forks clatter onto plates. Glancing over at Loki, I saw his eyes practically bulging out of his head as he stared at me. I blushed and looked at the floor.

"You three look radiant!" Frigga, Odin's wife, exclaimed, and there were only nods of agreement. "Please take your seats." I saw a seat across from Loki and was quick to take it. He leaned forward and I did the same.

"You look absolutely _ravishing_," he whispered, and the way he said it made my breath hitch as my face began to grow hot.

"Thanks," I squeaked, sitting back and setting the napkin on my lap. Breakfast went on normally. Well, as normally as it could get in Asgard. Fandral couldn't take his eyes off of Darcy, who didn't seem to notice. Volstagg, whom I had sat next to, wouldn't stop telling me stories about the battles he and the others had fought in. While I wasn't really one for war stories, the way he told them made them both interesting and humorous. I felt a soft tap on my leg and looked over at Loki. He was talking to Thor, but I saw the corners of his mouth twitch. My eyebrow arching, I brought my foot back and let it free. It tapped Loki back, who had begun eating, and I could see him grinning at his food as he did it _again._ He caught my eye and I gave him a "oh no you didn't" look, kicking him back.

"You really want to start this up?" I whispered across the table. He just smiled and kicked me back. My eyes narrowing, I stepped lightly on his feet to stop him from kicking me again. Cutting into his food, he deftly moved his feet so that the situation was reversed. I took a bite of my food as I slowly pulled my foot out from underneath his, raising it until I felt the bottom of the table on my knee. Then, with a small smile, I brought my heel down on his foot. Hard.

He yelped loudly, raising his leg out of instinct and bumping it against the table. The table went quiet once again and I stared at my plate, biting back a large grin and a giggle as Loki glared at me.

"Is something wrong?" Frigga asked.

"Hit my toe," he replied between gritted teeth, shooting me daggers with his eyes. I winked subtly before turning back to Volstagg, who had started talking again.

After breakfast I had quickly excused myself, hurrying to get out of the room before Loki could even stand. As soon as I entered the gardens I began laughing like a mad-man, sitting on a bench before I could fall over. I sighed with content and shook my head, pressing a hand against my stomach as it began to ache from the laughing.

"You're an evil, evil woman." I looked up and giggled as Loki sat next to me. "My toe still hurts!"

"I'm not kissing it," I teased and he rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just use magic to heal it?"

"It's still replenishing itself. I used more than I should've back on Midgard, and now I have to wait until it's been fully 'charged' as you Midgardians say." I nodded. "You really do look extravagant."

"I don't feel extravagant," I muttered, pulling off the heels. "I feel like my feet have just been through a meat grinder." He chuckled. "And this dress is ridiculously uncomfortable."

"Well, I think you look marvelous in blue." I blushed and looked away. Feeling a cold finger on my jaw, I looked back at Loki and watched with a shaky breath as he brushed a blonde curl behind my ear, dragging the back of finger under my ear and along my jaw before he traced my lips with his thumb. I hadn't even noticed him slipping his arm under my legs until, in one swift movement, he swooped me into his arms.

"Loki, what are you doing?" I shrieked.

"Getting back at you for injuring my foot," he replied, and I saw we were approaching a large pool. My eyes widened and I started squirming in his arms.

"Loki Odinson, don't you-ahhhhh!"

_SPLASH!_

Water flooded my dress and my nose as I sunk to the bottom of the pool. I kicked off from the bottom of the pool, breaking the surface with a gasp. I sputtered and coughed for a moment, glaring at an amused Loki.

"Technically it's a lose/lose situation because now you have to help me out," I shouted, swimming to the edge of the pool. He chuckled and held out his hand. I grabbed it and a malicious smile crossed my features. Before he could even start pulling his hand away, I had yanked him into the water with me. He broke the surface much faster than I did, pushing his dark hair out of his face.

"You truly are pure evil," he teased and I shrugged with a smile.

"That's what you get," I sang, pulling myself out of the pool. Loki did the same and we sat in the grass, letting whatever big ball of heat that was in the sky dry us off. It certainly wasn't a sun. It didn't have the properties of a sun, considering I could look right at it and my eyes didn't hurt at all. I lay down in the soft earth, spreading my arms out and closing my eyes.

"How do you know my last name?" Loki asked after we sat there for a long time.

"Thor told me."

"Hmm, I'll be having a talk with him." I giggled and stretched. "We should be heading back inside."

"But I'm so comfortable," I whined, opening one eye to look at him.

"I'll throw you back in the pool."

"Alright I'm up, I'm up." I hauled myself to my feet, trying not to step on my dress, and followed Loki back into the castle, grabbing my heels on the way. As we made our way back to the castle, servants and maidens stopped to stare. I found myself curious as to what was so interesting. Once he dropped me off in my room, one of the hand-maidens began helping me out of my dress. "Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly miss." I chewed on my lip.

"How come all of you were staring at Loki and me as we walked back from the gardens?" She paused while tugging on my dress strings, her face reddening.

"Anything but that, miss."

"Oh come on, I'm sure you can tell me!" I insisted, rising up onto my tiptoes so she wouldn't have to bend down in order to get the last string.

"It's not my place-"

"Yes it is," I interrupted with a smile and she frowned, though the corners of her mouth twitched slightly before she shrugged.

"It's just that…I'm sure I can account for all the maidens and servants when I say that…I'm fairly certain none of us have ever seen Prince Loki smile like that when with a woman." I dropped back onto my heels, shocked.

"Ever?"

"No ma'am." She pulled the last string and the dress came loose. "And not even with a woman. We've never seen him so happy in general. Not since he was young."

"Wow." The hand-maiden smiled sheepishly.

"You must be one special mortal," she murmured, a twinkle in her silver eyes as she excused herself and exited the room. I gripped the top of my dress in order to keep it up, staring at the mirror's frame. The hand-maiden's words echoed in my mind. _You must be one special mortal…._

Me? Special? Ha, what a laugh! I could barely hold a job, I wasn't even sure if my gig with S.H.I.E.L.D was still going. And she thought I was special? I giggled to myself, shaking my head. How ridiculous! I sighed and peeled off the damp and now stiff dress, pulling something more my style over my head. Just a simple brown leather tie-up vest over a cream dress. There was a sheer fabric on top, and underneath I could feel the smooth silk rubbing against my legs. I pulled on a pair of flats and let down my damp hair, pulling it over my shoulder and braiding it. This was so much more comfortable than that stupid blue one. After wiping away the smeared makeup, I walked out of the room to try and find Jane.

"Hey Ev!" I turned and grinned as Darcy ran up to me, looping her arm through mine. "Seen Jane around lately?"

"Nope, I was just about to go look for her. You wanna come with?"

"Might as well, I've got nothing better to do." I smirked and we started walking down the hall. "She might be with Thor." As we approached his room, we could hear sounds coming in from under the door. Sounds that made our eyes bulge.

"Go, go, go," I muttered and we started walking away from the door. "Run!" We both squeaked, practically running from the door and towards the bridge. "Well…at least we know what Jane is up to." I shuddered, shaking my head.

"I need to go get my memory wiped, see you later," Darcy said, taking off, barefoot, I might add, in the opposite direction. I looked out at the rainbow bridge before glancing at the stalls.

"Hello Heimdall," I greeted, hopping off of the speckled horse and joining him at the jagged ends of the bridge.

"Lady Evelyn," he replied formally, not even glancing at me.

"How upset is he?" I asked quietly, referring to Coulson. Heimdall knew what I was talking about. He always seemed to know.

"He's more frustrated that he is upset, but he is quite furious with you." I sighed and brushed my bangs away from my face. They were long, but not long enough to successfully stay in the braid.

"Have I lost my job?" He chuckled, the sound deep from his chest. That was surprising. I had never even seen Heimdall smirk in all the time I've been here, which was saying something because I was almost always on the bridge. But when I looked over at him, he was dead-serious.

"It seems as if the Son of Coul is still deciding. He appears very conflicted." I hopped from foot to foot nervously.

"How are the others?" He sucked in a deep breath, letting it out through his nose after a moment.

"Peter Parker misses you so, as does the Logan man. Tony Stark, although he will not show his feelings, also misses you. Clint Barton is terribly worried, and Steve Rodgers can't seem to stop pacing. Bruce Banner is trying to figure out where you have gone, and Natasha Romanoff continues to send you mail through the internet." Finally, he looked over at me. "Overall, I firmly believe you are dearly missed on Midgard." I smiled a little, feeling my heart swell. They do care. "Will you be returning soon?"

"Why so eager to get rid of me?" I teased and he gave me a look, the corner of his mouth twitching lightly. I took his question seriously after a moment, sighing. "I don't know. I miss everyone back in New Mexico, but I'm having the time of my life here. I know I would miss Jane and Darcy terribly." I bit my lip, shaking my head. "I'm not sure where to go from here." He turned his head, his golden eyes piercing mine.

"I'm sure that everything will work out perfectly fine in the end." I nodded, then my lips spread in a wide grin.

"You know, you wouldn't be a half bad counselor." Then, for the first time since I've been here, he smiled. It was small, barely noticeable, but a smile nonetheless. I felt honored.

"Thank you, Lady Evelyn." I nodded in response. "Loki is searching for you. It would be wise to leave now so he wouldn't worry."

"You _do_ want to get rid of me!" I exclaimed in a mock voice before lightly patting his back. "Later Heimdall, I'll be checking in tomorrow."

"I do not doubt it." I climbed onto the horse and rode back to the stables, where I saddled the pretty thing up before starting back towards the castle.

"Evee, there you are!" I turned and smiled as Loki walked up to me. "Come with me, the ambrosias have just bloomed, you'll love it!" He grabbed my hand and began tugging me after him. I followed with a smile. Oh yeah, I could definitely get used to this.

**I'm not sure if I should kick myself or praise myself for this chapter…**


	10. Personal Questions and Checking In

"And then Fandral, being the half-wit he is-"

"Hey! I resent that!" I giggled, my hand covering my mouth to hide my smile as I watched Volstagg and Fandral argue…again. Honestly, they were like an old married couple, fighting over every little thing.

"Apologies, my friend," Volstagg quickly said, then smiled. "Anyway, then Fandral, being the _no-wit_ he is-"

"Volstagg!" I laughed with the others, watching Fandral as he began to go off on the rounded man. Volstagg simply laughed heartedly. "Ugh, let's just eat, shall we? It will finally get him to shut up." I smirked, but leaned back in my seat as everyone murmured their agreement. Our food was then served and I began cutting into my steak. Volstagg, who had chosen to sit beside me again ("It's so easy to make you smile, I enjoy it!"), was digging viciously into his two slabs of cow and two large chicken breasts. I resisted a snort of disbelief. At least not all the Gods had Volstagg's appetite.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up at the distinct, prickly feeling of someone watching me. I looked up and immediately found myself looking into Loki's pretty green eyes. They widened as he got caught staring and quickly looked down at his food, his cheeks turning a light hue of pink.

"Evee," I looked up at Volstagg an hour or so later during dessert, a coy smile on his cheery face, "have you been courted yet?" The table suddenly went quiet, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Loki look up. I could feel his intense stare burning a hole in the side of my head. The question caught me off guard, and I was struggling with what to say for a moment.

"Um…no, not really." He nodded, appearing to be very fascinated by this fact.

"Well why ever not? Any man would be a fool not to court you immediately!" I felt my eyes go wide and my lips part lightly in shock. My cheeks burned. The dining hall was deathly silent. You could hear a pin drop.

"I…well…um…thank you, Volstagg."

"Is there anyone you wish would court you?" he asked curiously.

"Ignore him," Fandral quickly interjected, "he's too drunk to function properly." I ignored Fandral, looking up at Volstagg's curious expression.

"I have a few people in mind, yes." He gave me a bright smile.

"Care to share?" My eyes widened again, flickering for a split second to Loki and his piercing look before returning to Volstagg's eager expression.

"Volstagg!" Sif scolded. Over the past couple days we had gotten to know each other better, and discovered that we had much in common. I was beginning to think of her as an older sister.

"Not with your drunk ass," I retorted, and silence once again fell around me. Volstagg looked shocked. I worried that I had taken it too far. Then, the entire table burst out in laughter. Volstagg's chortles shook the table, and I grunted as Thor, who was sitting on my other side, clapped my shoulder. If my hands hadn't been gripping the edge of the table, the weight of his hand would've slammed me into my ice cream. I looked at Loki and saw the tiniest of smiles on his face.

"Very good remark, Evee!" Thor laughed, holding his stomach. Even Odin and Frigga were chuckling lightly. Had it really been that funny? Hell, if I had said that on Midgard to one of the Avengers, I probably would've gotten only a smirk or two mixed with nasty glares. After the meal I snuck out a chicken leg and a cup of water, walking out to the stables. The speckled horse, who I had named Constellation for the way her spots were placed, neighed happily when she saw me and allowed me to climb onto her back, getting back onto her feet gingerly. Quickly but lightly, Constellation galloped to where Heimdall was standing at the edge of the bridge.

"I was wondering when you would arrive," his deep voice murmured.

"I brought you some food and a drink. Sorry it's only a chicken leg, it was the only thing I could sneak away from Volstagg." He smirked again and I held out the items.

"I do not have the appetite." I rolled my eyes.

"Heimdall, I haven't seen you eat once since I arrived. Please, I insist." His golden eyes flickered to me for a moment before he took the plate and the cup. I looked out at the endless sky ahead as he ate, trying to see what Heimdall sees every day. Eventually Heimdall set the dishes on the bridge. "How are they?" He cleared his throat, standing straight.

"They are…coping. You are now officially a missing person in Midgard." He was silent for a moment, as if thinking about something. "Steve Rodgers fears that you might have moved on." My heart felt heavy at this. They were already starting to think I was dead? "Peter Parker worries for your safety. He's begun putting up posters everywhere. Logan has been turning Santé Fe upside down searching for you. Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton have been traveling everywhere in New Mexico for some sign of your existence. Tony Stark is using his resources to put out search groups for you in deserts and forests. Bruce Banner suspects a kidnapping, and has been looking for clues to prove his theory." I thought of Bruce looking around my house for anything out of the ordinary.

"I miss them," I admitted, my voice an octave higher. "But I don't want to leave here. I've been having such an amazing time." I looked to Heimdall in desperation. "What am I supposed to do?" He took another long sigh.

"I cannot make those decisions for you, Lady Evelyn. I can only hope that you will make the right one." I looked at my hands, feeling so conflicted. I was having the time of my life in Asgard, with people who made me genuinely happy. But the Avengers were already starting to think I was dead, and I missed my extended family so badly that it hurt. I've never been this confused before. I gathered the plate and cup in my hands. "Goodnight, Lady Evelyn. I do hope these confusing feelings do not remain with you for much longer." I hopped onto Constellation.

"Goodnight Heimdall. I hope for that as well." Constellation trotted slowly back to the stables, allowing me to think about what I really wanted. What did I truly want? A small voice in the back of my head whispered a name, and I scowled. That is _soooo_ not what I meant. We arrived at the stables and I laced up Constellation, rubbing her snout for a moment before turning and walking towards my quarters. Passing by a servant, I stopped him. "Hey, would you mind taking these to the kitchens? Thanks," I added as he took the dishes from me and began walking away. I entered my room and shut the door with a sigh. I walked over to my bed and collapsed on it, not even bothering to change into a night gown. I just fell asleep right there, exhausted from my warring emotions.

**Ridiculously short, I'm aware. This is basically just a filler, so that I can move on to the next significant plot point.**


	11. Startling Revelations and Going Home

**Uh-oh. Some serious shit's 'bout to go down, guise.**

Three weeks. Three glorious, amazing weeks in the beautiful realm of Asgard. I swear, it felt like months. Three weeks spent exchanging playful insults with Volstagg, pestering Hogun to get him to talk more, making fun of Fandral's mustache with Darcy, and exchanging battle strategies with Sif. I also spent a large amount of time with Loki. We were together every chance we could get. I saw the looks Thor and Jane would give us, but never commented on them. Oh, did I mention that the two love birds are engaged? Yep, the wedding is in a few months. Darcy is the maid of honor, of course, and Sif, Frigga, and I are the bridesmaids. Naturally, Jane will become a goddess after the ceremony. I wonder what she'll be the goddess of. Probably science.

That thought made me wonder what happened if I ever married a god as I sat on a bench in the gardens one afternoon. Would I become a goddess? If so, then what of? Nerdy Star Trek references, probably. I can't think of anything else that I'm even relatively good at. I wonder which god I would get married to. _Hopefully Loki_. Whoa. That thought came quicker than I could stop it, and I felt my cheeks reddening. Marry Loki? He doesn't seem like the "settle down" type.

"You look very deep in thought," I looked up and smiled as Loki himself sat down next to me, tucking a de-thorned rose behind my ear. "Care to share?" I fought back a blush and shook my head.

"Nope," I replied, popping my lips at the end. He rolled his eyes, smiling. I took the rose from behind my ear and sniffed it, smiling at its amazing scent. "What are you doing out here? I though the All-Father had called a meeting."

"He did, we were able to leave early, though." I nodded, twirling the rose between my fingers. "What troubles you? Don't give me that look; I know you well enough to know that something is on your mind." I rolled my eyes, pursing my lips in thought.

"They all must think we're dead," I murmured, watching the blood red petals spin. He knew that "they" meant the Avengers and "we're" meant Darcy, Jane, and I. "Buried in the desert somewhere."

"Are you going to return to Midgard?" I groaned at the question, letting my head fall on his shoulder.

"I have no idea. I'm having the best time here, but I really need to get back." I sighed and felt his head rest against mine.

"I don't want you to leave." His voice was so quiet that for a second I thought I imagined the statement. Then he reached over and clasped the hand not holding the rose, tangling our fingers together. I felt myself smile at the cold touch I was so used to. "However," he said after a moment, "it's not about what I want." _But it plays a big part_, my subconscious whispered, and I quickly shooed it away. He pulled back and looked deep into my eyes. I felt my eyes widen, suddenly feeling very exposed.

How in the hell does he do that? All he has to do is look into my eyes and I suddenly feel like he knows every deep, dark secret I harbor. Like he could see directly to my soul. "Evee," he murmured, "what do _you_ want?" _You._

"I don't know," I whispered, my eyes pleading for his advice. "I want to stay here, but I also want to go home." He reached up and combed his long, elegant fingers through his raven hair, sighing.

"I'm not sure if I can give you any advice at this point. It's up to you, now. Although, if you do choose to leave, I'll respect that choice." He squeezed my hand reassuringly, giving me a small smile. My lips curved in a smile and I reached forward, wrapping my arms tight around his neck. He quickly wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his forehead on my shoulder. I buried my face in his neck, wanting nothing more in the world than to just stay like this forever.

"Don't tell Darcy," I whispered, "but I think that you're probably my closest friend." Friend. I don't think he had any idea how badly I wanted to change that.

"The feeling is mutual," he murmured.

Eventually, we had to break apart. Loki leaned forward and rested his lips on my forehead for a moment longer than normal, before resting his forehead against mine with a sigh. "I must go, I sense Father looking for me." He squeezed my hand again before standing and striding away. I watched him go, my nose scrunching. I should've just told him. Right then and there. God, I'm such a coward. Just another trait to add onto my list of reasons why I _shouldn't_ be with Loki.

I stood and brushed any dirt from my simple green dress. Tucking the rose back behind my ear, I walked in the direction of the library. It was probably my favorite spot in the whole castle. Stacked to the tall, arched ceilings were shelves and shelves of all the books my arms could carry. I quickly gravitated to the nearest section and hopping off of the ladder, pushing myself across the floor. Thor told me that the custom had been adopted from Midgard after Odin saw it during a trip to one of the New York libraries.

Once I was at the spot I preferred, I climbed the ladder and began gathering books. Normally one of the servants or Thor or someone else would stop me and get the books for me, since I'm a lady. But there wasn't anyone else around. I gingerly climbed down the ladder after getting my books, being careful not to trip on my dress. I then began walking towards one of the sofas when I heard a voice.

"Well, does Evee even know?" I stopped, straining my ears to listen. That was Jane. When no one else spoke, I quietly set my books on the sofa and followed to where I heard to voice, peeking through a shelf of books.

Jane, Darcy, Thor, Sif, Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun were all gathered around a table. Well, Thor was pacing to the side of the table, occasionally obstructing my vision. Hogun had one arm crossed over his chest, his other arm on top of that and his fingers blocking his mouth.

"I don't think so," Darcy replied. "She hasn't mentioned it the whole time she's been here. And if she did, I'd imagine she wouldn't be hanging out with Loki so much."

"She probably wouldn't even talk to him if she knew," Thor murmured, his deep voice sounding concerned. What the hell were they talking about?

"No," Sif said with finality. "There's no way she doesn't know. Loki would've told her, I know it. He wouldn't lie to her about that."

"About what?" I asked, stepping out of my hiding place. They all looked to me, immediately looking guilty. "What wouldn't Loki lie to me about?" I asked again, a more demanding tone in my voice. Thor approached me and placed his monstrous hands on my shoulders.

"Evee, please sit down-"

"I don't want to sit down!" I shouted, stepping out of his grip. "I want to know what the hell you aren't telling me!" I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and looked over at Hogun, his worried expression matching the look in his eyes.

"Please," he murmured, "sit down." I scrunched my nose, but walked over to the table and sat down nonetheless. Jane took one hand and Sif took the other. Darcy, who was in front of me, thought for a moment before sighing.

"Evee," she said gently, wringing her hands. "There's something that Loki hasn't told you."

**xxxxOxxxx**

"How dare you!" Loki looked up as I burst into his room, standing quickly. Had I not been so royally pissed off, I probably would've noted the beautiful, attic-like ceiling, or the comfortable looking bed pushed against the ceiling-to-floor window.

"Oh dear," he murmured, backing up a bit as I advanced. "Evee, what's wrong?"

"You tried to destroy Puente Antiguo?" I shouted and he went rigid. I knew that expression all too well. He'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Evee…"

"You know," I interrupted, turning away from him and pacing the room with a bitter laugh, "I can understand why you did it. It was during that time when you were confused and upset and alone and I know how that feels, I really do. But what I don't understand is why _you didn't tell me_!" He kept calm, but his green eyes danced with panic.

"It wasn't relevant-"

"Bullshit!" I yelled, planting my hands on his chest and shoving him backward. "You lied to me!"

"I will never lie to you."

"How do I know that? You could be lying to me right now for all I know!" Tears swam in my eyes and for a moment there was nothing but silence. I turned away from him and rubbed my temples. "Why?" I asked, turning slowly to face him. "Why didn't you tell me?" He was silent, avoiding my eyes. I balled my hands into fists and shouted, "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

"Because I was scared!" he finally yelled, and I froze. He crossed his arms and stared at his shoes. "I was scared that if you knew, you'd never want to see me again. And I don't know if I could handle that." If this had been under different circumstances, I might've forgiven him and hugged him tight. But this was different. He knowingly tried to kill two people I considered family. And _nobody_ ever messes with my family and gets away with it. No exceptions.

I shook my head, tears now starting to slide down my cheeks. Then I turned and began walking to the door. "I'm done."

"Where are you going?" he asked, his voice cracking as I approached the door.

"Back to Midgard," I answered bitterly over my shoulder, gripping the door handle and pulling it open. "You're welcome to follow, but don't expect a place to stay." I dug a CD out of my sleeve and looked at it for a moment before tossing it onto the ground behind me. I took the rose out from behind my ear and set it on the bookshelf next to the door. "Happy anniversary, Loki." With that, I stepped out of the room and slammed the door shut. I needed to get out of Asgard as fast as possible. I swiped the tears from my eyes, walking quickly away from his room. I nearly bumped into Thor, who quickly caught me before I could fall over. He saw my face and pulled me into a hug. I just stood there like a statue, not moving.

Once he pulled back, I wiped away another tear and avoided eye contact. "You're going back." It wasn't a question. I nodded, finally gathering up the courage to look at him. He had an understanding hurt in his eyes. "Okay. I'll have Jane prepare the equation. Come with me."

Somehow word had gotten out that I was leaving, and by the time we arrived everyone had gathered around the machine. I had changed back into my t-shirt and jeans, braiding my hair over my shoulder again. Jane was in tears, and Darcy looked very close. Volstagg, however, was crying profusely, the large tears soaking his rust-colored beard. The moment I was close enough the large man pulled me into a suffocating hug. I was then passed around the group, finding myself standing in front of Jane and Darcy.

"God, I'm gonna miss you!" Darcy exclaimed, throwing her arms around me. I closed my eyes and tried not to sob right then and there. Jane also hugged me, not saying anything at all. Her tight embrace said enough. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks as I pulled away and backed up. Loki was nowhere to be found. _Good. I don't need him here._

"You lot come visit me sometime soon, you hear?" They nodded. Heimdall, who looked deeply sad, helped Jane start the machine. It whirred to life, the portal so bright that it hurt my eyes. I gave them all one more smile before stepping through. I felt like I was flying, but still didn't open my eyes. Then, just like that, I arrived. I landed on the dust with a thud, coughing as some of it got into my lungs. Sitting up, I looked around at the desert that surrounded me, and could make out a small, familiar encampment in the distance. A wide, grateful smile on my face, I stood and began walking towards it, one thought running through my brain the entire time.

I was home.

**So…I totally hope you guys don't hate me for how that played out. I just couldn't think of another reason for her to leave and then I remembered that I never wrote about her knowing of the Destroyer and how Loki tried to kill Jane and Darce.**


	12. Director Fury and a Change of Plans

**OmaiLoki guys, I'm seriously overwhelmed by all the love I'm getting for this story, especially the previous chapter. About ten minutes after uploading the chapter, I check my email to find seven messages…all from FF. All were either about alerts or reviews and I felt like Volstagg at a feast. Seriously, words cannot explain how shocked and happy I am about all of this. Thank you guys so much! I would also like to thank LoneAngel666. The way she gets so enthusiastic about this story makes me laugh, and I think she's reviewed on every chapter so far. Thanks girly. Go check out her Thor oneshot. It's her first fic and it's AMAZING.**

**And also ZML for her very helpful review about how Loki should be written. Guys, I LOVE constructive criticism. If there's something in the story you think is wrong, then I'll take you reviews into serious consideration. I kid you not.**

**But seriously, all your reviews and adds are what keeps me going. I don't think I could ever truly thank you guys.**

**In other news: Holy shit this is a monster chapter! I just couldn't find the right snippet to cut it off at! I hadn't expected for it to be so long! I have no idea why I suddenly decided to write Loki in the third person. Perhaps I'll be switching off between the two.**

**Song: Smother Me by The Used. I absolutely love that song, and I thought it fit the two rather well.**

Loki visibly flinched as the door slammed behind Evee. He pursed his lips and shook his head, as if trying to wake up from a dream. But this wasn't a dream, he knew it. This was all too real, and Evee was leaving. He was probably never going to see her again. That fact made his heart ache.

This shouldn't be happening. They should be walking through the gardens right now, admiring the ambrosias. He should be sitting her down and telling her how he really feels. How he had come to fall head over heels for the unique mortal. She shouldn't be going back to Midgard so soon. In fact, if he had his way, she shouldn't be going back at all. He just stared at the door, at a loss for words. It wasn't fair. She hadn't even let him give her the full explanation. She should've at least stayed to fully hear him out. Her words stung. _Don't expect a place to stay._

Loki let his head fall into his hands. He should've just told her the truth. Maybe she wouldn't have been so angry if it had come from Loki himself rather than one of the servants, or his idiot brother. Evee had made it very clear with those six words that she never wanted to see him again. The one thing he had feared most had just happened. How was one supposed to go about fixing these things?

Wanting to try and talk this out, get her to simmer down before she actually left, he began walking towards the door when something cracked under his feet. He lifted his foot and saw the CD case that Evee had thrown behind her. He gently picked it up, opening the case. The CD itself wasn't cracked or anything, but a folded piece of paper slipped from it and onto the ground. Picking that up and grabbing the rose from the bookshelf, he sat down on his bed and unfolded it. Evee's messy, yet pretty, handwriting was scrawled across the paper.

_Loki,_

_Hey you! Guess what? It's officially been six weeks since I found you sleeping in my bed…naked. I was just hanging around when I remembered something, so I decided to make this for you for when the six weeks rolls around. It's only week two, you just headed back into Santa Fe to look for a job. _

_If you are reading this, we made it a month and a half without killing each other! Success! Anyhow, I remembered that one time when you came back from a particularly rough day of job hunting (you poor thing) and I thought I'd make this for you._

_I'm not sure if we're still friends at this point. I mean, we must be, right? Or else you probably wouldn't be reading this. I just wanted to thank you for making my life so interesting these past couple of weeks. I've had such a fun time, and I hope that when you're reading this we'll still be close friends._

_Oh, there's the lock on the door. Must be you. I'm off, later!_

_Evee_

Loki frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Could Evee have foreseen this coming? Could she have possibly thought that four weeks from writing that letter she'd be distancing herself from whom she claimed to be her best friend? It was highly unlikely. If someone had told Loki four weeks ago that this would be happening, he would have scoffed at the person's such ridiculous claims. He glanced at the CD, sighing to himself before creating a CD player with his newly replenished magic. He put the silver disk in and pressed play, falling back onto his bed.

_Let me be the one who calls you baby  
>All the time<br>Surely you can take some comfort  
>Knowing that you're mine….<em>

He recognized the song as one of the tunes from that one day they meditated together and smiled sadly. He took the rose and held it over his face, twirling it in the same fashion Evee had, watching the petals spin.

…_When I'm alone time goes so slow  
>I need you here with me<br>and how my mistakes have made  
>Your heart break<br>Still need you here with me  
>Baby I'm, baby I'm here….<em>

Loki felt a twinge in his heart at the lyrics. How in the world did these people know what he was feeling? Suddenly growing very irritated at these ridiculous feelings, he waved his hands towards the player, turning it off. He sat up and stared at the rose. What on Asgard was he _doing_? Moping over a mortal? Odin, he felt like Thor! A puny, stupid mortal was able to do this to him! A scowl took over his features and he crushed the rose in his hands, looking up as the blood-red petals slowly floated to the floor. He would no longer pout over a weak, unimportant human.

He knew what he had to do.

**xxxxOxxxx**

I approached the encampment with caution, not knowing how everyone would react to seeing me. Several agents whose names I didn't know stopped to stare. Probably because I had a light coating of desert dust just about everywhere, making me appear orange. My throat was burning, I was so freaking thirsty. Approaching the main building, I warily climbed the steps, seeing my desk that had always been closest to the door.

There were cards and stuffed animals and even a little fruit basket littering the area around my super awesome, high-tech computer. I felt a small smile cross my face, then drop at the guilty feeling in my stomach. God, they must hate me for making them worry like that. I stood in the doorway, watching everyone hustle and bustle about. Then, a familiar figure stopped dead in his tracks, right in front of me. He stared at me in shock, lips slightly parted and eyebrows at his hairline, dropping the papers in his hands. They clattered to the ground noisily as we stared at each other. He slowly took off his sunglasses, maybe thinking that those were creating the image of me.

"…Evee?" he finally asked. The room suddenly went dead silent as everyone stopped what they were doing to stare. I smiled meekly.

"Hey Tony," I replied, my voice hoarse from walking in the desert. He then began quickly walking over to me, as if panicked that I might disappear if he didn't hurry, and wrapped his arms tight around me. I was taken aback for a moment, because Tony Stark never hugs _anybody_. "I'm getting your white suit all dirty," I whispered and he laughed softly.

"I don't care." Finally smiling widely, I wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face in his shoulder. "I was so worried," he whispered into my hair.

"Nonsense," I replied, pulling back. "Tony Stark never worries about anything." He smiled and ruffled my hair.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said softly and I felt my smile grow wider.

"Evee, you're alive!" I looked over Tony's shoulder and felt tears in my eyes as I saw Peter with the happiest expression on his face. I practically ran into his arms, my nose squishing against itself as I buried my face into his chest. I felt his cheek on the top of my head. "We thought you were dead," he murmured. I went around the room, giving everyone giant hugs. Logan embraced me so tightly I thought he was going to break my spine. Even Natasha gave me a tight hug.

Feeling a familiar tap on my shoulder, I flinched and sighed. "I know Coulson, I'll start packing my desk…." My sentence was never finished, because by then I had turned around and froze in surprise.

"Hello Evelyn," Nick Fury, the fucking _director_ of S.H.I.E.L.D, said politely, giving me a small smile. "It's good to know that you're okay."

"I…uh…thanks," I finally muttered, not sure what to say.

"Let's go for a walk, shall we?"

"Um…kay." He rested my hand on his arm and led me towards the door. I threw a panicked look at Steve, but he shook his head, looking just as confused as I did. We exited the main building…thing and began walking around the perimeter.

"You were gone a very long time, Miss Thomas," he said, sounding almost…amused. "Care to tell where you've been for three weeks?"

"I don't think you would believe me if I did," I admitted sheepishly, and he smiled.

"Let's make a deal, alright? I'll personally let you keep your job, if you tell me everything about where you've been. Because I doubt it was just a vacation to Tahiti." I pondered his offer for a moment. Nick Fury, the big man himself, would ensure that I got to keep my suddenly very awesome job? No Coulson to interfere?

"Alright, I'll accept." He held out his free hand and I took it, shaking hands and sealing our deal.

"Perfect, let's just head back over to the interrogation room." He turned us back around and led me in the direction we came. As we once again passed the Avengers, I gave them all a thumbs-up behind my back. I heard sighs of relief as we turned the corner. I tensed slightly, seeing Coulson standing by the door. As he opened it with his thumb, he gave me a small nod and a smile as we passed by him and entered the room. I sat down on one side of the cold, silver table and Director Fury sat down on the other, leaning forward and placing his folded hands on the metal surface. Coulson set a voice recorder on the table and pressed play. I listened with a bouncing leg as Coulson said all the proper things like the date, time, who was in the room and what we were discussing.

"Alright, Evelyn, let's begin. Start from the beginning and tell me everything." So I did. In detail, I told him every little thing since the day I left Earth for Asgard. I, of course, left out the fact that I had completely fallen for Loki during that time. It wasn't relevant, they didn't need to know. When I finished, both men looked shocked.

"What about Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis? Did they stay in Asgard?" Coulson asked and I looked down at my hands.

"Yeah, they did."

"Do you still have the equation for the wormhole?" Director Fury asked after a moment. I nodded.

"But," I quickly added when hopeful looks crossed their faces, "it only works twice. Once to get there and once to get back. It's dead after that." The lie was smooth, easily told. Odin and Frigga didn't need S.H.I.E.L.D agents stampeding into Asgard. Both of their expressions fell.

"Well alright. Thank you for telling me that, Evelyn."

"Of course, Director." He stood and turned off the recorder, briskly leaving the room. I stood and Coulson walked around the table so that he could face me. "Yeah I know, I'm in deep shit for disappearing like-" I froze, once again taken aback as he suddenly hugged me. Yeah, sure, Tony doesn't like hugs, but Coulson? That man won't even give me a high-five, and here he was hugging me like a father would hug his daughter after she stayed out too late on a Saturday night. Well, that's how _my_ father hugged me, I have no idea about others.

"Please don't worry me like that again, Evelyn," he said, his voice still professional as he pulled back. "I was truly afraid for your safety." I grinned and slapped the side of his arm.

"Well look at that, Coulson!" I exclaimed. "You _can_ feel emotions!" He shot me a dirty look, leaving me laughing as he exited the room. I shook my head and followed, walking back out into the main room. Everyone gathered by my desk, waiting to hear the news. I nodded and there were cheers and I was, once again, picked up into suffocating hugs. "I thought you guys might be upset that I made you worry so much."

"We're just glad you're alright, Evee," Steve replied, giving me a warm smile. I returned it ten-fold, feeling my heart swell. In that moment, I didn't think about Loki at all.

And for just that moment, my mind was at peace.

**xxxxOxxxx**

Loki frowned to himself, his eyes flickering to the big, burly guards walking on either side of him. He could easily take them out, but what was the point? There was no need to cause a scene. He just didn't like the way they were smirking, like they thought they could rip his head off if they tried. _Highly unlikely._

The God of Mischief found it almost ridiculous how easily he was able to get the portal working. Of course, Heimdall was suspicious. But when Loki said he was going after Evee, the guardian let him pass. It was a half-truth. He was going after Evee, just not in the way Heimdall thought.

The trio approached a set of large, golden doors and the guards opened them to reveal a sort of lounge. There was a bubbling, octagon-shaped bath tub in the corner, with a television set against the opposite wall with four large sofas surrounding it. The floor was a ruby red, plush carpet, with several animal skin rugs littering the area.

Directly in front of him, however, was a bar. The half-circle, granite-topped table arched around a man mixing different sorts of alcohol. The figure sitting on the barstool, however, is who caught Loki's attention.

His emerald green cloak brushed the silver foot-rests of the stool lightly, and the hood covered a good part of his head, leaving Loki unable to see his face. A gloved hand was clutching a martini.

"Sir," one man said in a deep, bellowing voice, "your guest has arrived." The figure turned in his seat, and Loki was only half-surprised to see a metal mask covering his identity. But Loki could tell this man, this Dr. Doom, was smiling from the way his voice sounded when he spoke.

"Loki!" he exclaimed, gesturing to the seat next to him. "Please, take a seat." Loki eyed the barstool, resisting a scowl when, in his mind's eye, he suddenly saw a familiar figure sitting on it, her musical laugh ringing in his ears.

"I'd rather stand, if that's alright," he replied stiffly, walking over to Dr. Doom.

"It certainly took you long enough to respond to my invitation."

"Yes, I had some, ah, minor setbacks," he replied, shaking his head when the bartender looked over to him. At Dr. Doom's tilted head, Loki muttered, "I'm not a fan of alcohol."

"Ve 'ave somezing in common zen, it zeemz." Loki looked over his shoulder, eyebrows rising in surprise.

"Johann Schmidt," he murmured in surprise. "I thought you were dead."

"You must learn not to assume, Loki," Red Skull replied, giving him a sickly sweet smile. Loki resisted flinching. Odin, why did Doom have to bring Red Skull into this? The man was psychotic, he could ruin the whole operation! If there was even an operation, that is.

"Doom," he said, turning to the masked man, "I'm still slightly confused as to what the invitation was for. You didn't give me much information."

"Loki," Doom replied, setting his drink on the bar as Red Skull moved to stand next to him, "how would you like to bring Earth to its knees? Become ruler of the realm you despise so greatly?" Loki's eyebrow arched, and he finally took a seat on the barstool.

"I'm listening."

**xxxxOxxxx**

The sun had long since set over the horizon, and I was still working furiously. My fingers were flying over the keys at record speeds, trying to get caught up on all the work I had missed. Coulson had assured me it wasn't needed, but I disagreed. Plus, the tech they had replaced me with while I was gone had completely screwed up my computer. All they had left me was a note saying that they had "organized" everything.

"That dude was such a bitch," Clint had said when I first realized everything was rearranged, "I warned him that there was a reason for your disorganization, but he wouldn't listen."

"I had everything in a place and a place for everything," I groaned, still moving files and documents. "And the asshole goes and screws it all up!" Tony, who was watching me, smiled a little.

"There's always some sort of method to your madness."

"Damn straight." He chuckled and stood, rolling the chair back over to Agent Garret's desk.

"I have to head back to the hotel before Pepper has a spaz attack. Later Ev." He ruffled my hair and left, leaving me with Steve and a few other stray agents. Since this was only a temporary arrangement for the Avengers, they're staying in a nice hotel in Santa Fe.

"You've been working non-stop since you got back," Steve commented, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "You should head home."

"I can't," I murmured, "I still have a bajillion files that need fixing."

"And they'll be waiting for you in the morning," he assured me, lightly gripping my elbow and pulling me to my feet. "You just spent three weeks God-knows-where, you really should rest." I bit my lip, glancing back at my computer. "C'mon, I'll even drive you." Finally, I smiled and nodded.

"Alright. I could use some sleep." He grinned and I walked with him to his car, a (fitting, I might add) Ford pick-up. Climbing clumsily into the passenger's seat, I buckled myself and settled into the comfortable cushions. Steve, of course, had an easier time getting into the car and started it after a minute. He pulled away from the encampment and onto the road.

"Hey, d'ya mind if I ask you something?" I looked over at him, a signal of affirmation. "Did something happen to you while you were gone? I mean, you just seem…different." I looked down at my hands, frowning.

"I don't really want to talk about it, if that's alright." I chanced a peek and saw him nodding in understanding. A smile of relief crossed my face for a split second and I looked at the window. He didn't need the directions to my house, all the Avengers had gone there once for a surprise birthday party. Once we arrived, I hopped out of the truck and walked to the door, Steve's footsteps behind me. I pulled out my keys, which were luckily still in my pocket, and unlocked the door. Gripping the doorknob, I gasped as I found it extremely cold. Loki cold. Peering down at the doorknob, I could see his distorted reflection behind me, ridiculously close. I quickly released the doorknob and backed up, right into Steve. He immediately gripped my upper arms, leaning over so that he could look at me.

"Whoa, you alright Ev?"

"I-I can't go in," I stuttered quickly. I could feel the color draining from my face. "Don't ask me why, I just…." I trailed, shaking my head with closed eyes. My hands were gripping my keys so tightly it hurt, the ridges digging into my skin. "I need to go to a hotel or something because…I just can't go in."

"Well, you can stay with me." I opened and looked at Steve incredulously. His face was crazy close, and I leaned my head back so that we were distanced appropriately. "My hotel room is big enough."

"I'd hate to be a burden-"

"You wouldn't be." He laughed. "Trust me, I could share with you and all of the Avengers if I wanted." I smiled a little. "I insist, Evee." Eventually I rolled my eyes and sat back down in the truck, eyeing the house carefully. I could've sworn I saw a flash of green next to the door, but didn't get to think twice about it as we once again started down the road, this time pulling onto the highway. I curled up in the seat, resting my forehead on the cool window. Steve's chattering about some reality TV show (that man, I swear…) and the soft hum of the car eventually lulled me to sleep.

**xxxxOxxxx**

Loki yawned out of boredom as he leaned back against Evee's house, staring up at the now black sky. Odin, did it really take her this long to get home? Honestly, he was close to just going back to Doom's home and trying again tomorrow. Then a truck pulled into the driveway. He recognized the driver immediately. That Steve Rogers fellow. He remembered taking over his body for a short amount of time to discover what Evee had found out about his armor.

Evee herself hopped down from the passenger's seat, and Loki resisted making himself appear just so she would acknowledge his presence, just so that she would look at him. _I don't care about her anymore, _he tried to tell himself. Still, the way Steve stood a little too close behind her made Loki's hands unwillingly curl into fists. Smirking, he walked up behind Evee and leaned in close enough that he could rest his chin on her shoulder if he wanted. Her hair smelled like vanilla. He'd never noticed that before.

_Focus, Loki! She's unimportant!_ So, he once placed a smirk on his face and leaned to the side, to the point where their cheeks were nearly touching. His heart was beating at twice the speed it should've. It worked, fortunately. She caught sight of him in the reflection of the doorway and freaked out, backing straight through him and into Steve. His eyes narrowed into hateful slits as Captain America took hold of Evee and leaned forward, his face closer to hers than needed. He returned to his spot by the door, leaning against the wall next to it.

He listened to Steve's offer with a scoff. What sort of game was the man playing? But he knew Evee. If poked enough times, she'll eventually accept any decent offer. So, he watched with a scowl as she got into Steve's car and they drove away, locking eyes with her for a split second before disappearing yet again.

**Okay, so I know it totally seems like I'm copying Loki's Little Helper because I decided to involve Red Skull and Doom, but I swear I'm not! I have something completely different in mind! Even though the Skrulls are totally awesome, my evil mind has a different idea. *maniacal laughter***


	13. Nightmares and Disasters

**Since I won't be able to update in the morning (waking up ridiculously early), and I don't want to keep you waiting all day, I decided to upload this tonight. A big thanks to all my amazing readers and reviewers. You guys keep me going.**

_I sighed as I lay back on the soft grass, my fingers threading themselves through the velvety blades. The sun warmed my skin, and my eyes were closed. My lips curved into a smile as I felt ladybugs crawling up and down my fingers, tickling my skin. My hair, in a rare occurrence, was down and fanned out around my head, letting the grass caress the back of my neck. The silk of my gown was warm from the sun and soft against my skin. The sounds of the meadow I was positioned in were calming, and made me feel a little tired. I don't think I've ever been so at peace before. The whole scenario was too good to be true._

_Then, without warning, a shadow blocked the light behind my eyelids. Opening my eyes, I found myself staring into a pair of pretty green orbs, crinkled at the corners in a smile. My own smile widened as Loki slowly leaned down, capturing his lips with mine. Something was different, though. This kiss was panicked, hurried. Like something was going to happen soon. I tried to move my arms to pull him closer, but found that they were pinned by nothing. Caught up in the kiss, my eyes slipped closed._

_Suddenly I could feel something moving underneath me. Opening my eyes, I found that the grass had turned into green cobras, hissing and slithering menacingly. The sky had turned pure black, the trees and flowers and bushes were gone. I tried to gasp, but Loki was still moving his mouth against mine. And, unwillingly, I was responding. The ladybugs crawling on my fingers became black widows, repeatedly biting my finger tips and knuckles and palms. My mouth opened to scream, but Loki stopped it by pushing his tongue past my teeth. And then, I felt a searing pain in my abdomen. Finally, Loki pulled away and my lips parted in shock as he yanked the dagger out of my stomach. He stared at me with an amused expression in his eyes. I lifted my head and saw the emerald green fabric turning blood red around the tear in my dress._

_Then, the snakes disappeared under me and I was falling. Screams finally erupted from my throat, but there was no one to hear them, no one to help me. I just fell and fell into the blackness surrounding me, all with a pair of green eyes watching, crinkled at the corners._

"Evee!" I screamed, bolting upright and clutching my stomach. Tears were streaming from my eyes as I tried to make sense of where I was. A hotel room. That's right, I stayed with Steve last night. The mentioned man was staring at me, concern in his blue eyes and a strong grip on my upper arms.

That didn't make me feel any better, though. Because before I could even stop them, sobs crawled up my esophagus and echoed in the large suite. I hugged myself around my middle and brought my knees up to my chest, resting my forehead on my knees as I sobbed uncontrollably. Nightmares usually didn't have this sort of effect on me, but this one had been terrifying. It was so vivid as well. The pain from the spider venom, and the feeling of the dagger sliding out of my abdomen. It just all seemed too real for me to handle it properly. I really thought Loki had stabbed me.

Almost immediately I was pulled into a pair of strong arms, a chin resting on my head. "Shhh, it's okay, Evee. It was just a dream. Everything's alright now." I remembered how my dad used to say the same exact thing, and that just made me cry harder. I didn't look up from my position as the door opened. "She had a nightmare," Steve said simply, and the bed sank more as a third figure sat down. "I've never seen her react like this, it must've been terrible." A large but gentle hand placed itself on my back.

"Evee?" I looked up and my heart swelled as I saw Thor sitting next to me, an expression of deep worry on his face. I quickly pulled away from Steve to find Thor pulling me into his arms. I was now sobbing into his shoulder out of feelings of happiness and sadness and I don't even know what else. He hugged me back, nearly suffocating me. He pulled back and held me out at arm's length, wiping away my tears with a small smile.

"Goodness," I muttered, my voice stuffy, "I feel like such a baby."

"Don't," he said firmly. "You were scared, but it's alright now." I smiled and nodded.

"What are you doing here?" I asked with a small laugh. "Shouldn't you be planning the wedding?"

"I came to find Loki. Father requests his presence." My brows furrowed in confusion.

"What? I thought…didn't Loki stay on Asgard?" It was Thor's turn to look confused.

"No, he left through the portal to find you. He told Heimdall." My eyes widened and I shook my head.

"Thor, I haven't seen Loki since I left Asgard." Thor went rigid, as did Steve.

"I think it's time we head back to base." I nodded in agreement and the three of us scrambled from the bed. "Here, Natasha and Clint brought these by from the house." Steve tossed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt in my direction. I disappeared into the bathroom and quickly changed, splashing my face with water so that I didn't look as terrible. I combed through my hair with my fingers and rebraided it. When I walked out, Thor and Steve were waiting for me. We quickly walked to the lobby, banging on the other Avenger's doors as well so that they could follow. We all piled into the cars and drove the two hour drive back to the encampment, all the while Thor assuring me that I wasn't a baby and I had no reason to think otherwise.

When we arrived, the first place I went was my desk while Clint and Tony went to fetch Coulson and Fury, who was staying for a few more days to observe everything. The others gathered around me as I brought up Google and we crowded to see the screen as I typed in the web address for the latest news.

"Oh my God," Natasha gasped, her hands flying to her face. I pulled up several news websites, and they all showed the same thing. "Garret, turn on the news!" The agent quickly obeyed and I scrolled through the news on the computer while the others turned to watch, panicking with every article I read.

Los Angeles was burning. The entire city was destroying itself. Buildings were collapsing and 9.7 earthquakes were tearing roads in half while fires both wild and man-made tore through the city, engulfing entire buildings and homes in flames. Sacramento was already beginning to fall, with rioters and shootings and murders and other things I couldn't bear to finish reading about.

"It's only been a couple of hours," I gasped when I realized who the cause of all this was.

"Loki is an incredibly powerful sorcerer," Thor replied over his shoulder, and his voice was sad.

"This is my fault," I whispered. As soon as I left Asgard, Loki began destroying cities. I was to blame. God, what have I done?

"No." I turned and saw Thor had crouched down next to me. "Evee, Loki is a very troubled man."

"He's insane, that's what he is," Clint called over his shoulder. Thor gritted his teeth and I stood abruptly, walking to the doorway and sitting on the steps.

I heard a soft voice in my head, in Loki's voice, ask, _"Do you think I'm insane?"_

"I don't know what to think," I muttered bitterly and felt different. Like a presence that had once been there before was gone. Ignoring the feeling, I rested my arms on my knees and leaned forward to plop my chin on my arms, staring at the ground. Footsteps approached and stopped in front of me.

"Miss Thomas," I looked up at Fury and Coulson, "you should come inside." I nodded and stood, following the two men inside. "Alright everyone, gather 'round!" The TV was turned down as the Avengers gathered around Fury. I stood close to Thor, whom I had come to consider my older brother, and he gave me a reassuring smile. "I've decided that we're done in New Mexico. We're packing up and going back to the helicarrier." I blinked, looking around in confusion. "We need to safely plan out an attack strategy, and I'm afraid that's no longer possible here."

Wait, wait, wait, _back up._ Attack strategy? We're going to attack Loki? "Evelyn, you're coming too. Alright, you're dismissed." Oh, that's nice…wait, WHAT?

"Um, wait! Hold up Director Fury!" He turned and I ran up to him. "What do you mean I'm coming?"

"I mean, you're coming with us onto the helicarrier." My eyes bulged out of my head. What? WHAT?..._WHAT?_

"Why do I have to go?"

"Because you are ridiculously experienced with technology, you could be a possible asset should this psychopath try to attack." I was still silent. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing." My eyebrows shot up at this and he turned on his heel, walking away with Coulson on his heels and leaving me, shocked, standing in the dust. Then, one thought went like Speedy Gonzalez through my head:

_I need to pack._

**xxxxOxxxx**

I sat uncomfortably in the helicopter with Thor, Bruce, Peter, and Coulson. Natasha was crammed with Fury, Tony, Steve, Logan, and Clint in the other copter. Glancing at the window, I could see a large, dark mass in the distance. "That's the helicarrier," Coulson said at my shocked expression. We kept getting closer, and I realized just how large it was. It was like a whole city mixed with an aircraft carrier. It was amazing.

We landed and I was quick to exit the aircraft, then proceeded to back up against it when I saw how high above D.C. we were. Thor laughed heartedly and I took his arm tightly as we walked to the elevators. The others soon joined us, Tony and Clint snickering when they saw me. I stayed close to Thor on the ride down to the living quarters, one hand squeezing his fingers while the other gripped the shit out of the strap on my duffel bag.

"You can have the room next to mine, little sister!" Thor boomed, practically dragging me down the hallway. I glanced over my shoulder to find Clint laughing his cocky little ass off. Oh yes, he shall never have children once I'm through with him. Finally we stopped between two doors and Thor pressed his thumb against the scanner on one. The door opened and he gestured for me to do the same to the other. I did, and it took longer to scan. "It's calibrating with your thumbprint." Finally, the door slid open and I stepped inside. A bed and table were pushed against the left wall, with a TV on the wall across from it. Pushed into the far right corner was a desk with a high-tech looking computer on it. Against the wall next to the door was a long table that ran from the edge of the wall all the way to the doorway. There was a dresser sitting against the wall across from me, next to the window.

"Get yourselves comfortable, there's a training room just down the hall," Fury yelled as he walked past all our rooms. "I want to see you all in the debriefing room in one hour!" I unpacked in under ten minutes before sitting on my bed, at a loss for what to do. Remembering that there was a training room somewhere, I shrugged and stood, changing into a pair of sweats before exiting the room. It's been a while since I brushed up on my skills, it might be good to practice.

God, this was all so _weird_. I am definitely not a superhero. I'm a freaking computer nerd, if you want to get technical. I had no reason to be on this helicarrier with all these talented people. Apparently, though, Fury thought I did. Rolling my eyes, I entered the training room and found other people already inside. I glanced around, biting my lip nervously.

"Hey Evee!" I looked towards the voice and smirked as Clint waved at me from the boxing ring. Tony, seeing a chance, threw a right hook that easily caught the side of Clint's face. I laughed and walked up to the ring as Clint growled and tackled a laughing Tony to the ground.

"I fight winner," I laughed and they stopped, staring at me.

"Sorry little lady, but this ring is for big boys only," Clint told me, his voice similar to a cowboy's. I arched an eyebrow. "Why don't you go play with Natasha over there?"

"Oh, so you don't think I can fight you?" Tony laughed, prompting Clint to toss him a dirty look.

"No, actually, I don't." My other eyebrow shot up and I nodded, entering the ring. "Now Evee, I don't want to hurt a fragile little thing like you." I shook my head with a laugh, throwing my hair into a messy braid.

"Oh Clint, you were always much too cocky for your own good. I'm soo going to enjoy this." I cracked my knuckles and went into a fighting stance as Tony scrambled out of the ring. A crowd had gathered by now. People usually tend to underestimate me because I'm so tiny. I usually tend to prove them wrong. Clint and I circled each other for a moment, a small smirk on my face the entire time. Clint was growing nervous, I could tell. Finally, he threw a punch. "Aye, aye, aye, Clint," I laughed, easily catching his wrist.

The snickers that had once filled the training room went quiet. "You punch so sloppily, it's almost pitiful." He growled as I let go of his wrist. "Your hand isn't properly fisted and your throwing is loose, like you aren't sure where to aim. Your throw has to be nice and stiff, you have to know exactly where you want to punch them. Like so." In one swift movement, I had curved my arm and planted my fist on Clint's jaw, quickly going back to my previous position.

"That's it Barbie Doll, you're going down!" he cried and ran forward, arms outstretched, as if to tackle me. I tsked and grabbed his wrist again. This time, I twisted downward while hooking my leg around the back of his waist and pulling myself forward so that I was straddling him with his arm pulled behind his back. He slammed onto the floor of the ring and cheers filled the training room.

I leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Now, what was that about me being a fragile little thing?" before releasing his arm and climbing off of him, exiting the ring. I then trained for a bit before leaving around nine, much to everyone's (except Clint's) dismay. Smiling, I walked back to my room and sat down on the bed, trying to think of how to become more superhero-esque. I mean, if someone were to attack, I had to defend myself somehow, right? Well, I already had fighting skills, but I lacked a name, a costume, and a weapon. Suddenly, an idea for a weapon popped into my mind. Laying it out in my head, I smiled and nodded. Yes, I could easily build that with the right materials. I stood and quickly ran from the room to tell Fury, not noticing the figure watching me from the shadows.


	14. Shopping and a Strategy Revealed

**Yeah, this one's short. Stfu.**

"I'm sorry, you want to _what_?" I rocked back and forth on my heels nervously, giving Fury a small smile.

"Um…build an electric staff?" Fury's eyes bulged out of his head. "Just for protection. I won't use it on any of the Avengers." Clint mumbled something incoherent, holding an ice pack to his face. "There are only a few materials I really, truly need, and they shouldn't be that hard to find." Fury rubbed his chin, giving me a wary look.

"And you can make it by yourself?" I nodded. "How long should it take?" I scrunched my nose, thinking for a moment.

"Um, if I work nonstop? A couple of hours, half a day at the most." He nodded lightly and I smiled.

"Alright, I'll send an agent to accompany you while you retrieve your supplies."

"I will accompany Evee," Thor boomed, slinging a heavy arm around my shoulders. My knees buckled under the weight, but I managed to stay upright. "I shall keep her safe on her journey." I smiled and rolled my eyes as Fury shook his head. "Come sit by me!" He took my hand and pulled me to the chair next to his. I sat down and leaned forward, placing my elbows on the silver surface of the table.

"Alright, everyone, let's get started. What do we got on this Loki guy?" Fury asked, sitting at the head of the table. I shared a look with Thor, neither of us wanting to own up to knowing him much too well. "Thor, I know you know something."

"All I have to say is…" He sighed through his nose. "Loki is a very powerful sorcerer; he can do things you mortals had not even heard of." I went rigid at this. And we were planning on attacking him? Fury frowned, then shook his head.

"Does anyone at least have a picture of this guy?" I sat straighter and hesitantly raised my hand. "Evelyn, you do?"

"Uh, yeah, when I took him to get his license." The Avengers stared incredulously at me.

"Back up, you took him to get his license?" Clint asked and I nodded.

"But that was before…well…all this. He was different back then." Shaking the thought of Loki from my head, I walked over to the computer. My fingers flying across the keyboard, I quickly brought up the picture the agency had of him. His eyes looked serious, but I could see the start of an amused smile, frozen in time. "That's Loki."

"He doesn't look like a sorcerer," Clint muttered, still rubbing his jaw from where he had been hit…twice. Tony, noticing, smirked in amused pleasure.

"Because at the time he was masquerading as a mortal. Trust me, he can look very intimidating if he wants to." I thought of Loki in his armor and felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up from how powerful he looked. He had looked, for lack of other word, unstoppable. "Plus, he's taller than Steve, so…" The entire room bristled at this, and Steve's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "I've seen him do a bit of magic myself." I pursed my lips. "Even though it wasn't much, I could tell he knew what he was doing. Thor's right. He's powerful." Fury was giving me this look, like he was thinking, _I knew bringing you along was a good idea._

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is there _any_ chance of beating this guy?" I glanced at Thor, who stood.

"Perhaps, if we can catch him by surprise. But that's nearly impossible." I tugged on my braid in frustration. "And, he can be merciless. I've seen that side of him myself." I looked up at this, but Thor was blatantly avoiding my gaze. "I know him better than I know myself," I involuntarily flinched at the familiar phrase, "when he sets his sights on something, there's no stopping him." Natasha scrunched up her nose in distaste.

"Fantastic." A silence settled over the room.

"Evelyn, could you make smaller versions of this picture for the others? So that we might have a chance of spotting him on the streets." I nodded and tapped away on the computer for a few seconds. "You're all dismissed. Evelyn, I suggest you retrieve your supplies now, before it gets too dark." I nodded and looked at Thor. I gestured towards the door with my head and he nodded, standing.

"I should be back before…eh…eleven at the latest." He nodded in reply and I hurried to the door, where Thor was waiting for me. "Alright, big guy, let's go!" I looped my arm through his. "Hang on, how are we going to get down there?"

"Trust me, okay?" I bit my lip, but nodded nonetheless. We approached the edge of the helicarrier, and Thor didn't give me the chance to back up because he had pulled me close to him.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, not daring to look at the drop. "No Thor, don't you-" I didn't get to finish my demand because Thor had jumped off of the helicarrier. I screamed at the top of my lungs, my arms locking around his neck in a vice grip. I buried my face into his t-shirt, my screams silenced by the air rushing past me. When we landed, I pulled back and began hitting his chest with my fists. "You…stupid…asshole!" I said with each hit. "I…could've…died!"

"Don't be so dramatic," he laughed and we walked out of the alley with me still fuming. It was darker now, the lights of the city blocking out the twinkling stars that used to shine in New Mexico. "Which market are we to visit first?" I grumbled under my breath, but instantly gravitated towards the nearest hardware store. I picked out the necessary supplies from there, buying them with the money S.H.I.E.L.D lent me. Thor carried one half of the bags while I carried the other, trying to push past the crowd of Christmas shoppers. Okay, so there weren't just a few necessary supplies, but Fury wouldn't mind. Right?

It was colder in D.C than it was in New Mexico, and I regretted not bringing a heavier jacket with me.

"Remind me to buy a jacket when we come down here again," I said to Thor, who smiled. One man in a trench coat and fedora bumped roughly into me.

"Hey, watch it!" I scowled and he quickly tipped his hat.

"My apologies, miss," he said softly, only his eyes rising to look at me. I froze in place, instantly recognizing the green. His eyes widened as we stared at each other and he hurried past me. I stood there, frozen for a moment, before turning around and trying to find him among the throng of shoppers.

"Loki?" I whispered to myself, and felt a grip on my arm. I looked up at Thor.

"Is everything alright?" I bit my lip, looking in the direction Loki had gone before nodding.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's get back." We returned to our alleyway and I didn't even complain as Thor shot into the sky. I couldn't get _his_ eyes out of my head. As soon as we returned, I shut myself in my room, asking Fury to let everyone know that I didn't want anybody bothering me.

Biting my lip, I dumped the results of our shopping trip onto the long table. _One last thing…_ I dug around in my purse, pulling my taser out with a victorious smile. Setting that on the table, I immediately got to work.

**xxxxOxxxx**

I wasn't intending to be out on the streets of Washington D.C. that night, but somehow I ended up in a small shopping center. The sidewalks were packed with shoppers buying gifts for this…Christmas, I believe it's called. A holiday celebrating the birth of some famous person. Jesus, I think he's called. Funny, that was often what Evee used to exclaim when she was especially frustrated. Did she used to know this Jesus man? Were they close?

I quickly brushed the questions from my head. No, Jesus and Evee couldn't have been friends. Jesus lives in the Jerusalem area, last I heard, much too far east. My my, Jesus must be quite the person if they have a holiday celebrating him. Pulling the brim of my fedora further down to shield my face, I easily slipped my way between passerby as I continued towards somewhere I might be able to successfully teleport without causing a scene.

People started violently pushing me as the night wore on, and I nearly hexed this one man who began using vulgar language in my direction. Shaking my head, I was about to turn the corner when I was shoved into a warm, small feminine figure. I growled at the harasser over my shoulder.

"Hey, watch it!" the woman hissed. I tipped my hat, hoping not to cause a large scene.

"My apologies, miss," I whispered, looking up at her. I froze as I stared into a pair of silvery-blue eyes. Evee. She was with Thor, predictably, and they were holding about five bags each from a hardware store. She looked cold, her cheeks flushed and her nose pink. Her eyes widened as she recognized me and I quickly scuttled off. Of course, as soon as I made it to an empty alley I was quick to scold myself for even looking up, and tried to calm the rapid beating of my heart.

"She's insignificant, she's insignificant," I attempted to convince myself, pacing the length of the alley. Finally shaking clear any thought of her, I teleported back to Doom's estate.

"Loki, there you are!" I gave Doom a polite smile. "Come with me, Johann and I have finally thought of a plan!" There was a giddiness in his voice that I wasn't accustomed to, and it startled me. Still, I calmly followed Doom down the many corridors, my hat tucked under my arm.

"What have you thought of?" I asked calmly as we entered a room. A large machine took up a majority of the room, with a cylinder taller than myself with a glass door sitting in the corner.

"I'm telling you, Doom," Johann said jovially, "zey vill never know vat hit zem."

"Would somebody please be so kind as to inform me what's going on?" The two men turned to me, Johann smiling wickedly.

"Clones," Doom said, the giddiness still in his voice. "We're going to clone the Avengers."

**Okay, I have no idea if any of the Asgardians know about Jesus Christ or Christianity or blah, blah, blah, but I thought a clueless Loki would be a bit funny to lighten the mood of the chapter.**


	15. Weapons and Blatant Differences

**Am I the only one that thought it was insanely funny when Fury was all "Remember, I got my **_**eye**_** on you" to Tony in IM2? I was laughing so hard, Fury is so badass. Samuel Jackson always makes his roles so f**kin badass.**

I rubbed my lip thoughtfully as I sat at the bar, running my finger around the rim of the champagne glass. True, I wasn't one for alcohol, but this was different. "Clones?" I asked for most likely the hundredth time. "We're going to clone the Avengers?"

"Well…not just the Avengers. Also certain people in your home realm." I made a face at this. Doom must have noticed, because he said, "Just think about it, Loki! Thor would have to either fight or watch as someone fought the exact look-a-like of his precious fiancée." A smirk made my lips curve.

"It would destroy him," I murmured and Doom nodded.

"Oh, and that cute blonde girl Thor seems acquainted with," he said casually, picking a piece of lint from his cloak. I immediately tensed, my grip on the champagne glass tightened. How in Niflheim did he know about Evee? Did he have a spy in S.H.I.E.L.D? Still, I tried my best to sound calm.

"Who? Evee?" Doom looked up.

"Yes, you know her?" I nodded, trying to keep my expression stoic.

"Indeed. She's probably the reason I'm here today." _In more ways than one._ Doom nodded, making a small humming sound in the back of his throat. "How are we going to achieve this?" Doom and Johann shared a glance.

"That, my friend, is where you come in. You have a natural talent for teleporting, it seems. You could easily slip in and out of their chambers and acquire their DNA. Just a strand of hair, fingernail clipping, anything really." I nodded vaguely, going back to running my finger around the rim of the champagne glass. "Can you do it?"

"Of course I can. I shall return periodically to deliver the samples separately." Doom nodded and I released the champagne glass, teleporting onto the helicarrier that S.H.I.E.L.D was currently using. I placed an invisibility shield around myself. I then began with Natasha, who was punching a limp bag in a sweat-smelled room. I successfully plucked a red lock of hair from her pretty little head, dropping it into a container marked "Black Widow" and returning to Doom, setting it on the table.

I continued with this routine, going around the helicarrier collecting the Avengers' DNA. Fury, I admit, was a challenge because he was bald, but I had been able to pull off a piece of skin from a healing wound without him noticing. Finally, I arrived in the room of the person I wanted to see the least.

She was bent over that large table, the only light being a bright lamp shining down on whatever she was working on. I walked up behind her, looking at what she was constructing. It was some sort of staff, but she had split it open and was inserting some sort of wiring. I smirked a little at how accurate her work was. Darcy was right. If Evee was a goddess, she would definitely be the goddess of technology. Evee's pale fingers reached over and grasped her taser. I scowled at the weapon and how easily it had defeated me. Stupid Midgardian weaponry. To my surprise, she began taking the weapon apart, gingerly removing the long, electric wires. What on Asgard was she trying to create?

Figuring it would be best to leave before I would have to start convincing myself to, I reached forward and lightly grasped a white-blonde curl between my finger and thumb. With one flick of the wrist, I pulled the hair from her head.

"Ow! Fuck!" Her hand flew to the back of her head and I quickly turned invisible as she whipped around. I tried in vain to resist a snort at the glasses she had perched on her nose. They made her appear bug-eyed. She heard my snicker and sat straighter. "Who's there?" She rose the spectacles and placed them on her head, her eyes searching the darkness. "Loki, is that you?" The laugh that had been crawling up my throat quickly retreated, and I went rigid. After minutes of silence, she rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "I really need some sleep, I'm starting to hallucinate." I frowned, watching her return the glasses to her nose and turn back around in her seat.

Shaking my head, I returned to the estate and dropped the hair into a container just marked "Evelyn".

"Now, the Asgardians. Just Frigga, Odin, Jane, and Darcy. Perhaps Sif and the Warriors Three, if you like." I nodded, feeling my stomach twist in distaste at the thought of returning to my so called home Still, I stood from my seat and prepared myself.

Off to Asgard.

**xxxxOxxxx**

I finally finished it. After hours and hours of work, I finally completed the staff. It was a simple pattern, made from metal pipes that I had thinned out and about the size of a pen. That is, until I clicked a red button in the middle of the rubber handle. Then it would extend to my height, revealing two columns. When I clicked the blue button next to that, the wires from my taser would wind around the spiraling ridges, crackling with electricity. I also had two other options. When I pressed either button closest to either column, the wires would either retract or extend, letting me have only one electric column if I wanted.

Smiling victoriously, I quickly twirled it around the room. Thank God Mom forced me to take baton twirling in school, right? Plus, it could still be a weapon even if the wires short-circuited. It wasn't too thick, I could wrap my hands around the columns and my fingers would overlap. Hearing a knock on my door, I looked up to see Fury poking his head in.

"You finished?" I nodded, yawning and stretching. "Care for a demonstration?"

"Can I do it in the morning? I'm exhausted." He nodded.

"Sure, be in the training room at noon tomorrow." I nodded and clicked the button. The wires retracted and the staff shrank. Fury's eye bulged out of his head. "And you built that yourself?" I nodded, yawning again.

"Yeah…goodnight." He nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind him. I turned off the light and collapsed into bed, holding the now pen-sized staff under my pillow. I fell asleep almost instantly.

The next morning I woke up a little late. Like…eleven-thirtyish. I rushed to get showered and dressed in a pair of sweats, clumsily braiding my hair before flying out the door with my staff in my hand. I made it to the training room right on time, but found that the Avengers weren't even there.

"Man, I could've slept in," I complained, slouched on the edge of the ring I had pummeled Clint on not too long ago. Fury shot me a look and I rolled my eyes, twirling my staff between my fingers. Eventually everyone started filing in. Tony looked hung over, again, and Clint was trying not to pass out. Natasha, as expected, was wide awake and standing with perfect posture, her hands behind her back. Bruce was stretching and cracking his neck, Logan and Peter were arguing over _something,_ and Thor was happily munching on a pack of Pop Tarts. Steve was sitting casually on one of the weight lifting chairs, his chin in his hands. Coulson was standing next to Fury.

"Can someone tell me why I'm awake at such an early hour?" Clint demanded and I rolled my eyes, hopping off of the ring.

"Evelyn has finished her weapon." Everyone was suddenly very focused. Even Tony, although he was loudly slurping the coffee Pepper made for him. "Please, Evelyn, explain what it is."

"Alright, so I spent all night building an electric staff." Natasha's eyebrows shot up and Clint tilted his head to the side, blinking blearily. I looked over to Fury and he nodded. I clicked the red button, and there were multiple clicks as the staff whirred to life and expanded with a snap. Tony jumped, his blood-shot eyes widening. I hit the blue button and Steve's eyes bulged as the wires twirled around the columns, cackling with energy. Deciding to show off, I began twirling it around, flipping it in the air and twirling it behind my back.

Finally, I finished and shrunk the staff, sticking it in my pocket. There were claps from a few people, but others looked just shocked. Thor was beaming proudly at me, and Coulson looked extremely impressed. "Like Fury said, I'm very experienced with technology." Clint arched an eyebrow, an amused smile on his face.

"Thank you Evelyn. Alright, you all are dismissed." Thor was immediately at my side, wrapping his monstrous arms around my small frame in a suffocating hug. I don't think he can help it.

"I'm so proud of you, Evee!" he laughed and I beamed. Nobody has said that to me in a long time, and the look in his eyes to confirm his statement made my heart swell. "Come, I shall buy you breakfast in town!"

"Thor, you don't have any money." His face fell and I smiled, patting his back. "That's alright, I'll buy it."

"If you promise not to eat my food, Thor, I'll come along and pay," Tony offered, walking slowly over to us. "This helicarrier is giving me a headache."

"I want to come!" Clint exclaimed, and soon everyone but Fury and Coulson had accepted the silent invitation to come along. We used the helicopters to get to a decent elevation, then used ropes to slide down to the ground, since Clint _refused_ to be carried by Thor. We walked along the street like the popular clique in high school. The people stepped to the side and stared as we passed by. We entered the nearest Ihop and got the biggest table they could wrestle together. Then, Thor (who placed himself between me and Steve) ordered two, count 'em, two plates of large buttermilks while I ordered a small plate of silver dollars and some bacon. Everyone else's orders were too scattered for me to process.

The restaurant was louder than normal, and it was probably because of us. People gaped at us, the two rather small women sitting with seven large (semi-large on Bruce and Peter's part), burly men wolfing down pancakes and waffles, especially considering Tony Stark was sitting in the middle of it all, smirking at something Clint said to Bruce. Sure, we looked a little odd.

But most families do.

**xxxxOxxxx**

I leaned back against the wall, watching Johann and Doom work on the cloning machine. I didn't understand just how the machine itself was supposed to work, but when Johann attempted to explain it the words all just sounded like a jumble in my mind. It seemed crazy, cloning all these people. But it would definitely work.

"Of course, we enhanced Jane and Darcy's clones so that they have certain abilities useful in combat," Doom explained when I had pointed out that Jane and Darcy were just mortals.

"And what of Evee?" I asked.

"She has a very…extensive background in the martial arts. Her father was a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, so she basically grew up fighting." I nodded. Wow, she's been with S.H.I.E.L.D her whole life? Had she been a recruit from the start, just nobody knew it? "And I'm sure her talent with technology will help her come up with a useful weapon."

"Actually, I believe she already has." I then explained what I saw when I went to retrieve her DNA. "It could be an electric staff of some sort."

"Well then, we'll just have to do better, won't we?" I felt my stomach fly into my throat.

"You don't honestly think she'll be fighting, do you?" I quickly asked, and both turned to look at me. "I mean, she's a technological analyst for Odin's sake." Johann tilted his head to the side.

"Vy so concerned?" he asked, a sadistic smile crossing his face. "Vould you care if she got hurt?" I felt myself tense. It was a trick. If I said no, then they wouldn't hesitate to kill her. But if I said yes, it would reveal that I did in fact care about Evee Thomas. And even I wasn't ready to admit that yet.

"I'm just saying," I smoothly replied, taking a sip of water, "why would a technological analyst be in the field?"

"She has a very impressive fighting background, Loki," Doom intervened before Johann could respond. "We can't take any chances." I nodded.

"See, that's all you needed to tell me," I replied, shooting Johann a glare. He scowled, but remained silent. "Will we be starting soon?" My tone was bored now.

"Yes, momentarily." Doom took the container marked "Thor" and dropped the strand of hair into the glass cylinder, closing the door. "These clones are programmed to not have any emotion, just to do as they're told." I nodded, intrigued. He pulled a lever and a gas filled the cylinder, blocking my vision of whatever was inside. Then, the door slid open and an exact replica of Thor stepped out. I was taken aback at first, and looked to Doom in shock. It was only when I looked back did I notice the differences. His eyes were a duller blue than I was used to, and his hair was more brown than blonde.

"Zat is amazing, Doom," Johann breathed, in awe.

"Indeed, I am thoroughly impressed." Doom tilted his chin up, no doubt smiling. The Thor clone looked at Doom, its face expressionless.

"Sir, I await your orders." His voice was too deep, as well, also emotionless.

"Just go stand over there until I am ready." I watched with a pounding heart as Doom then took the one labeled "Evelyn". The curl shone in the lights as he dropped it into the container and shut the door. The gas once again returned and the door slid open, a figure stepping out into the room. I knew instantly that it definitely wasn't Evee. The clone's cheek-bones were much too sharp, and her lips were too full. Her hair was too dull, not at all the bright platinum the real Evee had.

"Sir, I await your orders." Her voice was too high, and had a slight squeak to it. Doom shooed her to the wall and continued cloning the others. I couldn't look away from Evee's clone, though. It was like a doppelganger. Then, she turned and her baby blue eyes locked onto me. The color of her eyes, with not a hint of silver, confirmed that this was definitely not Evee and I turned away with a silent sigh of relief. Still, the fact that she looked so similar to the analyst aboard the helicarrier unnerved me. This certainly won't be easy.


	16. A Morning Run and Dealing with Loki

**Song is Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammer. My "waking up" song, I recommend it. Just so you know, this is the farthest I've ever gotten in any story…like, ever. Yay for new records!**

**The song I would recommend listening to while reading the second part would be Xibalba by Clint Mansell.**

**Not too sure what to think of this chapter…**

_But, you gotta keep your head up  
>Oh oh<br>And you can let your hair down  
>Eh eh<br>You gotta keep your head up  
>Oh oh<br>And you can let your hair down  
>Eh eh<br>I know it's hard, know it's hard to remember sometimes  
>But, you gotta keep your head up<br>Oh oh  
>And you can let your hair down<br>Eh eh eh eh eh_

My sneakers crunched on the fresh layer of snow as I jogged through the park, Andy Grammer and his heavenly voice blaring through my earphones into my ears. I could feel my ponytail swinging and my IPod bouncing in the pocket of my jacket. It was early, the sun was barely peeking over the horizon. The best time to run. There were hardly any people and the temperature was perfect. Well, kind of. It was still really cold, I could see my breath, but my running kept me warm. I could hear Thor and Steve behind me, struggling to keep up.

"Honestly, you're a God and a super soldier! You should be lapping me by now!" I called over my shoulder, laughing. I vaguely heard Thor questioning Steve on the term "lapping" through my music. I stopped at a light, jogging in place as the other two finally caught up to me.

"How do you do it?" Thor wheezed, leaning against the light pole.

"I try to run every morning. Lately I haven't been getting around to it, but I need to get back in the groove." I stretched, crossing my arms over my chest. We jogged across the street.

"How far have we gone?" Thor asked after a while.

"A couple miles, I stopped counting." Thor went bug eyed, stopping to lean against the wall of a town house. I smiled and stopped as well, leaning against the metal stairway. Steve stood next to me, watching Thor with a smirk. "What are you smiling at?" I questioned and he looked at me. "You were just as bad as thunder thighs over here!" He frowned and before I could react he had picked me up and thrown me over his shoulder. "Steve!" I shrieked, pounding at his back. "Dammit Steve, put me down!"

"C'mon Thor!" The God groaned, keeping a steady pace behind us.

"Seriously, put me down!" When he didn't respond, I sighed and rested my elbows on his back, glaring at Thor as I rested my chin in my hands. He smiled like a little boy, giving me a small wave. I scowled and let my hands drop, going limp over Steve's shoulder. Noticing the sudden change, Steve put me down and held me as I swayed.

"Whoa, you okay Evee?" he asked, placing his hands on my face.

"You…you," I swayed again, clutching my head before smiling, "you are a total dunce!" I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him backwards, laughing as I took off down the sidewalk. I could hear his footsteps behind me, pounding the snow. I entered a park and he chased me in the slush-like grass. He finally caught me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I shrieked and laughed as he spun us around violently.

He stopped and rested me against a tree so I could gather my bearings. I watched him push a loose curl behind my ear. "You're so beautiful." I giggled.

"You're such a flirt." He grinned.

"I'm serious. You are beautiful, Evee Thomas." My giggled faded into a soft smile, and he let his hand linger on my shoulder.

"You, sir, are too cute for your own good," I teased, poking his chest. He smiled again. "C'mon let's go pick up Thor and drag him back." There was a flash of disappointment in his eyes, but it disappeared and he nodded. We walked back over to Thor and I patted his shoulder. "C'mon big guy, we gotta go." He groaned, burying his face further down into the slush. "I'll buy you a pack of Pop Tarts." He was on his feet instantly.

"Let's go!"

**xxxxOxxxx**

I frowned at the window and the rain blurring its contents. I had pulled a chair over next to it and was currently sitting with my knees hugged tight against my chest, my forehead resting on the cool plexiglass. How in the hell did it get so warm that it rained instead of snowed in just a couple of hours? I much rather preferred the snow, since we never got any of it in New Mexico. I thought about going to find Thor or bug Clint, just for something to do, but decided against it. Thor was exhausted from this morning's run and Clint was still nursing his face, even though it's been about three days since I kicked his ass.

A scraping sound caught my attention and I looked towards the long table, my eyebrows furrowing. What was that? It couldn't be rats, we're in a helicarrier for God's sake. Figuring I was just hallucinating, I went back to my moping and staring outside the window.

_Click…click…click._

I stood abruptly at the footsteps, the chair falling backwards as I tried to make out the moving shadow. My hand instantly flew to my pocket, where I had stored my staff.

"I wouldn't bother," the shadow drawled, sounding very bored. I recognized the voice immediately and Loki stepped into the dim light. "I snatched it while you were moving the chair." He held it up, as if he thought I didn't believe him. "I must admit, Evee, I'm impressed with the technology. You're talented, I'll give you that." He slowly advanced and I backed up, right into the window.

"You stay the hell away from me," I threatened.

"Or what?" He laughed, but it was laced with malice. "You can't hurt me, not while I have your precious little weapon." He got closer and closer, and I rested the back of my head against the window in an attempt to get farther away from him. He was finally close enough that I could feel his cold breath on my nose.

"Are you going to kill me?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking. He made a thoughtful face and shrugged.

"Not today. I do, however, have a proposition." I narrowed my eyes into hateful slits.

"Go to Hell," I spat and he rolled his eyes.

"Oh please, I doubt my daughter would welcome me back with open arms." Suddenly, he had placed his hands on either side of my head, leaning in close. My heart was pounding in my ears, something he noticed. "I can hear your heartbeat, Evee," he whispered, smirking. "Do I still make you nervous?" I didn't answer, but instead leveled his intense gaze.

"Step away from me, please." He obeyed.

"Only because you were polite." I scowled and he righted the chair, sitting down in it. "Now, are you willing to hear my offer?"

"No," I responded almost immediately. He clicked his tongue.

"Shame, it was really worthwhile." I crossed my arms over my chest and walked over to sit on my bed. That was a mistake. In a flash he had pinned me down against the mattress, his knees on either side of my waist. "Well, this certainly seems familiar. You remember the last time we were in this position?"

"I'm trying to forget." He chuckled darkly. "You might as well leave, Loki. Nothing you offer will make me leave."

"Oh?" He leaned down and brought his lips thisclose to my ear. "Are you certain?" I was trying so hard to stay calm, but my body was practically shaking from the effort. Then, without warning, he pinned me against the wall next to the door. God, when did he become so quick? My breathing was ragged by now. "It's alright if you're attracted to me," he murmured, barely grazing his lips along my neck, then down my collarbone. Goosebumps rose along the trail his cold touch left. I closed my eyes and fought the hormones trying to control my hands. "Most mortal woman can't help it."

"Go. To. Hell," I muttered through gritted teeth. He raised his head, his green eyes twinkling with amusement. He leaned in, his lips millimeters from mine.

"Only if you'll come with," he whispered, and then lowered his head and began to move his mouth against mine. Resistance was futile, but he just _wouldn't stop_ and his lips were _so soft_ and I'm so _fucking weak_ that I finally just melted against him, wrapping my arms around his neck to pull him closer. He seemed surprised at first, but eventually smiled in the kiss and cupped my cheek with one hand. He snaked an arm under my back, arching it so that I pressed against him. Moving his hand cupping my cheek to the back of my neck, he shoved his tongue between my teeth and I gasped a little. He pressed himself farther against me, and I thought I was going to melt into the wall if he pushed me against it anymore. Then, he pulled back.

"Come back with me," he whispered. "The moment Midgard falls, you can live like royalty." Finally realizing what all that was about, I narrowed my eyes into a bitter glare.

"No." Something flashed in his eyes and he took a large step back.

"So be it." His voice was cold and hard and emotionless and he turned his back to me. "I'm afraid that this will be the last private moment we have together. I'll be seeing you on the battlefield." There was a moment of silence and he made a move to leave.

"I despise you," I spat without truly thinking about what I said. "You're a monster." He straightened a little, tilting his head up.

"I'm well aware," he murmured. With that, he disappeared, my staff dropping to the ground. Unable to stay upright, I slid down the wall, my breathing erratic. Oh my God. Oh. My. God. This is what Loki is truly like? What about the Loki from two months ago? Was that just a ruse? A disguise in order to get me to trust him? Had he been lying to me this whole time? I closed my eyes and touched my lips. The cold still lingered.

I then thought over what I had said. Do I really despise Loki? No. The aching feeling in my chest was enough proof. But I certainly didn't love him. Not after that. There hadn't been anything in that kiss. No passion, no spark, not even lust. Just…nothing. Was that supposed to mean something? That we weren't even supposed to be together in the first place?

I knew I'd be seeing Loki in a different light. He was no longer the cocky, brutally honest and sarcastic, yet slightly charming and polite man I fell for. He's become something much different, much darker than I was used to.

Finally able to pull myself together, I pulled myself to my feet and swiped my staff from the floor, slipping it into my pocket. I opened the door and stumbled from the room, not at all liking the sudden cold feeling it possessed. Needing to clear my head, I found myself on the carrier part of the helicarrier, letting the rain swerve down my cheeks and wet my hair. I didn't worry about my staff. It was designed so that it wouldn't short-circuit should it get a bit of water on it. I closed my eyes and tilted my face towards the freezing drops of water, resting my hands in my pockets.

"Evee, what are you doing out here?" I looked over my shoulder at Logan, who was standing under the shade. I shrugged a little, shaking my head.

"I can't really remember. Not sure I want to, though."

"Come back inside, you're gonna get sick." I ignored him, instead turning so that I could face him.

"Do you remember Jean Grey?" He visibly tensed, and I felt a little bad. Bobby and Marie had told me about Jean when I went to visit everyone following the Professor's death. Her story was tragic, but she had sounded like the type of person I would've gotten along with, had she not gone bad.

"Yeah…."

"Did…did you care about her? Even after she went dark?" His eyes squinted as he examined my expression.

"What's with all the personal questions, kid?" I scrunched my nose, looking out at the rain. I heard a sigh and turned to see Logan scratching the back of his head, nodding. "Yeah, I did."

"But why?" I suddenly cried and he jumped, startled. "I mean, after she had killed the Professor," he winced at this, but I kept going, "and teamed up with Magneto, how could you possibly still care for her?" He was silent for a moment, staring over my shoulder.

"Because I knew that somewhere, deep inside, was the Jean that I knew. The Jean that I had…the Jean that I had loved." I nodded after a second or two, crossing my arms over my chest. "Seriously, Evee. You need to come inside before you get sick." I nodded again, walking numbly to his side. My sneakers squeaked against the floors, and I wrapped the towel he had barked at an agent to get for me tighter around my shoulders. The walk back to my room was quiet. When we arrived at my door, I gave Logan a small hug.

"I'm sorry that things with Jean turned out the way they did." He sighed through his nose, nodding.

"Yeah, me too kid." As I sat in my room, I mulled over Logan's words. _"Because I knew that somewhere, deep inside, was the Jean that I knew."_

Could the same be said for Loki? Was the God I knew two months ago tucked away somewhere deep inside the profligate being that had replaced him? Possibly. It would explain the smidgen of care that I still harbored for him.

But the real question, the one that truly mattered, lurked like the Boogey Man behind all the others.

Was the Loki I cared for buried too deep to ever bring him back?

**Hmm, I have a love/hate relationship with this second part. Let me know if it's good, bad, or so terrible I should crawl under a rock and never go** **near a computer again.**


	17. Baltimore and a Confrontation

_Thud, thud, thud, thud…_

_All the things I know right now,_

_If I only knew back then,_

_There's no getting over, no getting over,_

_There's just no getting over you…_

_Thud, thud, thud, thud…_

I didn't look away from the punching bag as Steve moved over to start on the bag next to mine. His eyes kept flickering over to me, but I continued to remain focused on the leather cylinder in front of me, punching it over and over again. Fergie sang of her woes loudly in my ears. I knew I'd probably damage my eardrums, but I was trying to drown out _his_ voice in my head and the offer that he had made. Also, today was an especially distinctive day, but definitely not in a good way.

"You seem especially violent today." I took out an earbud and looked over at Steve, who was studying me intently. "Everything alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I can be especially violent for no reason, can't I?" He gave me a look.

"Evee, you've been acting different since yesterday night. Did something happen?" I sighed, gripping the punching bag in my hands as I leaned against it.

"It's just…really complicated, okay?" He nodded, smiling understandingly. "Is it still raining?"

"Last time I was out there, yeah." I scowled and lightly hit the bag with my palm, making him chuckle. "You think it'll ever stop?" I shrugged, shaking my head.

"No clue. If anything, I just want it to freeze into snow. I would love to have a white Christmas." He nodded a little and I went to put my earbud back in, but he opened his mouth. I paused, the bud inches from my ear and my eyebrows arched expectantly. He closed his mouth and I shrugged mentally, starting to adjust the bud in my ear.

"You want to get out of here?" I froze, the earbud slipping from in between my fingers and hanging in the air.

"…what?" His cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

"I just…this place is starting to drive me crazy, and I'm sure the same can be said for you," I snorted in agreement, "I figured we could get out for a couple of hours, try and regain the sliver of sanity we have left." The left corner of my mouth twitched and I nodded.

"Okay. Just let me go get dressed, and I'll meet you at the lift." He nodded and we both hurried out of the training room. I entered my room and shuffled through the various clothes, finally picking a pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt, pulling my favorite light blue, yarn sweater on over it. You know, the fuzzy kind that tickles your skin but it's just so warm that you can't help but wear it all the time? I pulled my hair from its hair-tie, unknotting the braid and running my fingers through my hair real quick. I wrapped my scarf around my neck and pulled on my beanie along with my gloves.

Running from my room, I arrived at the lift to find Steve already waiting in a wool sweater and jeans. S.H.I.E.L.D had finally installed a portable lift this morning, after Clint had to hunt down a pilot in order to get a bagel. It wasn't very safe, but it worked. I quickly ran into the lift, shaking off the water.

"Very nice," he teased, bopping the little ball on top of my beanie with a smile.

"Shut up," I replied, laughing as we began the descent towards the ground. The rain beat against the roof of the lift and once it landed we ran to his car, holding our hands over our heads in an attempt to block the rain, but still ended up getting his seats wet.

"Alright, where to first?"

"Anywhere that isn't raining," I replied, shaking the water from my sweater. After thinking for a moment, I scratched the back of my head and squeaked out, "Baltimore?" Steve looked at me.

"Baltimore? That's almost an hour drive."

"Well you asked." Giving me a look, he started the car and began to drive. I pulled off my hat and smoothed down my hair, staring out the window. Gradually the rain began to lessen until it just stopped altogether. I pulled my knees up to my chest and smiled to myself as the countryside whipped by us in a blur. I looked over at Steve. He was staring intensely at the road, but still kept that calm, leader-ish composition about him. His eyes flickered over to me and he smiled.

"What?"

"Nothing, I'm just thinking." We stopped at a red light and he turned his head to look at me.

"What about?" I leaned back against the seat, shrugging a little.

"Nothing in particular. Just…thinking." He nodded and at that moment the light turned green, making the car careen forward as we continued towards our destination. The drive was relatively quiet, except for the radio. The weather was so nice outside that I ended up rolling my window down a little. Finally we entered Baltimore, the nice, homey buildings completely dry, no snow or rain or anything. It was even a bit warm. "Here, just park there and we can walk around." He obeyed, parking in front of a small diner. I hopped down from the car and onto the sidewalk, pulling my beanie back onto my head. Although it was warmer than DC, it was still cold as fuck.

"Let's stop in here, I'm starved." Steve gestured with his head to the diner and I nodded with a smile, following him inside. We sat down at a table by the window and the waitress came to take our orders. I just ordered the hot chocolate, while Steve ordered a plate of pancakes and some sausage. Steve kept bumping his pinkie against mine the whole time. I definitely noticed the glare the waitress sent me before she left to give the orders.

"She's going to make the chef spit in my hot chocolate, I know it," I whispered to him and he grinned. I glanced out the window and smiled. "The weather is so much nicer up here." He nodded in response, smiling at the waitress as she returned with our drinks. Sipping mine, I looked out the window and saw a figure across the street. He was looking directly at me, a coy smirk on his lips. His hair was messy and brown, but I would know those eyes anywhere. I stood abruptly and murmured, "I'll be right back," to a confused Steve before all but stomping out of the diner. I quickly crossed the street and walked up to him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I just came to see if you had reconsidered my offer from last night."

"Well, I haven't, so you can leave now." He arched an elegant brow, crossing his arms over his button up shirt.

"What if I don't want to?" I narrowed my eyes, already feeling my hands curl into fists. He noticed and smirked mockingly. "What? Are you going to hit me?"

"Don't tempt me." He laughed, but any trace of mirth was gone. "Are you ever going to leave me alone?" He thought for a minute, looking up at the branches of the tree.

"No, I don't believe I will." Shaking my head, I turned around and began walked back towards the diner. Suddenly, he grabbed my arm and whipped me around, bringing his face close to mine. I had a flashback to last night and had to fight down a blush. Steve had stood from the table by now, watching us out of the window. "Why won't you at least consider my offer?" he asked, his voice soft but firm.

"I have. But what you're asking of me, it's wrong, Loki," I whispered, pleading with my eyes in an attempt to get him to understand that what he's doing is wrong as well. "I have family here, people I care about. And you just want me to abandon them to ride off with you into the sunset while they die? No!" His grip on my arm tightened, and I winced a little. I tried to pull my arm back, but he was relentless. "Loki, let me go."

"Is there a problem here?" Loki scowled and the familiar voice made me smile with relief.

"Not at all," Loki said with a sickly sweet smile, releasing my arm. I took a step back and crossed my hand over my chest in order to grip that arm. I felt Steve's hand on my back. "I was just leaving. Goodbye Evee." I didn't meet his eyes as he began walking away.

"Who was that?" Steve asked as we crossed the street again.

"Nobody important," I responded, looking over my shoulder to find him doing the same. Nobody important.

Yeah,_ right_.

**xxxxOxxxx**

"You were gone quite a while." I made a humming sound, draping my jacket over the back of the chair. Combing my fingers through my hair, I felt the brown fall away and smoothen to the natural black. "Care to tell where you disappeared to?"

"Not really," I replied, taking a seat on the couch. Doom was examining a long silver staff on a table. "Is that supposed to be a replica of Evee's?"

"Yes, but modified so that it is better." I nodded, but felt my stomach clench.

"How so?" Doom looked up at me.

"I'm not sure yet. Johann has yet to explain it to me." My face twisted up and Doom chuckled. "You don't like Johann very much, do you?" I glanced around to make sure the Red Skull wasn't around before shaking my head.

"He's much too…eccentric for my tastes." Doom nodded a little, and went back to studying the staff. I noticed a Jane clone walk by and almost jumped at how similar it looked to Jane. But it wasn't Thor's fiancée. The clone's skin was too pale, and her voice too low. "How are the Darcy and Jane clones responding to treatment?"

"Quite well, I can already see the beginnings of their abilities." The giddiness had returned to his voice, and I bit my tongue to keep from asking what the abilities were. That would just lead to a long, unnecessary explanation by the much too excited Doom. I simply nodded my acknowledgement.

"Well, I will be in my room if any of you need me." Doom hummed his approval (like I need it) and I stood from the couch, walking out of the door and almost right into Evee's clone. "Oh, hello Evelyn."

"Master Loki," her high, squeaky, emotionless voice said, "is there anything I can do for you?"

"Not at the moment, thank you." The clone then walked around me, continuing on her way down the hall. Odin, those clones gave me the shivers. Not just because of how similar, but how different they looked to the originals, but just that I could sense something beneath all that indifference. Something very dark. I had a very strong feeling that the clones weren't as emotionless as they led Johann and Doom on to be.

Entering my room, I stretched out across the large bed and summoned a large book to distract myself with. Opening to the first page, I forced myself not to think about the way Evee had looked at me down in the city. Almost like she was…pleading with me. But why on Asgard would she be pleading with me? It makes no sense. Then, of course, that half-wit Rogers had to step in. What was she doing with him anyway? Where were the rest of the Avengers? I had thought Thor was always glued to Evee's hip, but not today, obviously.

Hold on, why am I even thinking about it? It holds virtually no importance to me, so why are these questions and observations about that stupid mortal girl implanted in my mind? I mean, it's not like I actually care about her. She's a human, for Odin's sake! What a daft thought!

Isn't it?

**xxxxOxxxx**

"Are you sure?" I smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I'll be fine! There's just…there's just a few things I need to take care of on my own. I'll meet you back at the truck in a few hours, okay?" Steve scrunched his nose.

"Alright. I'll be at that bookstore over there if you need me." I nodded again and patted his arm before starting down the street. Knowing this city fairly well, I was able to locate the flower shop easily, selecting a bouquet of white roses. Thanking the clerk and paying the right amount of money, I headed out of the store and turned a few corners before I found myself standing in front of the small cemetery next to the church I used to go to with my family every Sunday.

I bit my lip and entered the graveyard, weaving around tombstones and trying not to step on flowers. Finally, I arrived at the weeping willow and parted its branches to find a woman already there, silently weeping.

"You remembered," I said softly and she turned, giving me a watery smile.

"Oh, Evelyn!" Suddenly she was wrapping her arms around me, squeezing me tight.

"Hi Mom," I greeted softly, hugging her back. She was an old woman of about my height. Her salt and pepper hair (as I got the blonde from my dad) was pulled back into a bun, and tears leaked out of her silvery-blue eyes. Hers were so much more vibrant than my own, mine were a duller shade of silver-blue. People used to say I was the spitting image of my mother, aside from the hair.

"I haven't seen you in months, my dear. How have you been?" I looked over her shoulder at the two tombstones.

"I'm coping," I whispered, and was pulled into another hug. "I brought the roses."

"I brought the pictures." I held out my free hand and she lightly placed them atop my palm. I glanced down at the photographs, sighing lightly. My father had always been a handsome man. White-blonde, crazy curly hair with the prettiest brown eyes I had ever seen, almost amber. He was tall, maybe a few inches below Steve, and always walked with perfect posture. He had been a business man, so he was always found in some sort of suit. I thought it made him look classy. But what I loved most about him were the laugh lines that always brightened his smile times ten. He was always smiling, he'd been such a happy man. Well, most of the time anyway.

Eddie had hair so black it shone blue in the sunlight, with the same amber eyes as Dad. He was tanner than the rest of us, as he lived in California for a good part of his life. Because of this, he was more of the surfer-boy, laid back kind of guy. He walked with great posture, but preferred a pair of board shorts, flip flops, and a loose t-shirt instead of the crisp suit my dad liked. I remember he had this black and white puka shell necklace that he never, ever took off. "Gives me good luck," he always said. He hadn't been wearing it when he got in that crash, and often I would wonder what would've happened if he had. Would he have survived?

"I still have that necklace," Mom whispered, and I looked up to see her looking lovingly at Eddie's picture. He had an arm around his surfboard, that goofy grin I loved planted on his face. She looked at me and smiled, pulling it from her pocket. "He would've wanted you to have it." My jaw dropped.

"Oh Mom…no, I couldn't possibly-"

"Nonsense, I know Eddie. He loved you the most, Evee. Besides, I can't wear it."

"What about Lisa?" Lisa Strauss had been Eddie's fiancée. God, I loved that woman. She was amazing, with the reddest hair I have ever seen and deep blue eyes, like the ocean on a cloudless day. Eddie used to be in love with Lisa's freckles. "A girl without freckles is like a night without stars," he used to say, then he would proceed to tap my own freckled nose. "Maybe that's why I love you and Lisa so much."

"Lisa moved to Paris, darling," Mom replied, pulling me from my memories. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood as she clasped the necklace around my neck. The shell pieces scratched my neck, but it felt sort of good. It felt familiar, like I finally had something to remind me of Eddie besides all his clothes. I reached up and fingered a shell piece as my eyes grew watery. "You look even more beautiful now." I smiled a little and held the pictures back out to her. She took them and placed them in the glass box, sticking the old, yellowed pictures in her purse. She sealed the box and I placed the flowers behind the box, in the little cylinder. I had created that box. It had taken days, but it was worth it. I stepped back and walked into my mother's arm, which wrapped tightly around my shoulders. I was silent for a moment, trying to think of how to properly word the question I've been wanting to ask for years.

"Do you regret how things were between you and dad? You know, when he passed?" Mom was silent for a while, and when she finally answered it was so quiet I thought I had imagined it.

"Every day."

**I'm thinking that from here on I might be including small flashbacks into Evee's past. What do you think?**


	18. Calling Lisa and Something Sinister

"_Will you take me back to California with you one day?" Eddie smiled and twirled a piece of my hair around his finger._

"_Sure pipsqueak, I'll even teach you how to surf." My face lit up with a grin._

"_Really? That would be so awesome!" Eddie laughed. "When can we meet Lisa? Is she coming for Christmas?"_

"_Of course she is! She's been dying to meet you guys. Especially you, since I can't seem to stop telling her about you." I giggled and sighed, cuddling against his broad chest._

"_Don't ever leave me, okay Eddie?" Eddie was silent, stroking my hair. Finally, he kissed the top of my head and hugged me tight._

"_Okay kiddo. I won't ever leave you."_

"Evee, are you even paying attention?" I started, looking around at the group. Fury was giving me a look, like, _Don't make me regret bringing you along._ Thor appeared concerned.

"Sorry sir," I murmured, playing with the puka shell necklace. He continued talking about Loki and Doom and other things, but my mind had drifted away again. I thought about my mother. Is she okay back in New York? Hopefully Miriam is taking good care of her. Although, Mom claims she can take care of herself. Please, the woman can barely open a pickle jar.

"Evee!" I jumped again, blushing and feeling guilty as Fury yet again gave me that look. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, totally. I just…I think I need some air, if that's alright." Fury sighed through his nose and held up five fingers. "Thank you sir." I stood from my seat and strode out of the room and onto the main landing pad area thing. There wasn't any rain or snow. It was actually sunny outside. I bit my lip and leaned back against the wall. _Two days till Christmas._

I wasn't usually one to celebrate Christmas, at least not while Eddie was alive. Being atheist, I didn't really think it was right to celebrate it. But, it was Eddie's favorite holiday, so I usually just give and receive gifts. I never stay too long at parties.

I reached down in my pocket and pulled out my shrunken staff, spinning it around between my fingers. I extended it and retracted it for a couple times before I got bored and stuck it back in my pocket, reaching up to fiddle with the puka shell necklace. Several of the shells already had dents from when Eddie would rub them between his fingers, either during homework or trying to think of a way to propose to Lisa. _Maybe I should call Lisa sometime. Wait, didn't Mom say she moved to Paris? Well, I'm sure Fury won't mind a long distance call._

Suddenly, there was a blinding light in front of me in a circular shape. Staring at it for as long as I could, I realized that I knew that portal! I lifted myself from the wall as seven figures stepped out of the portal, and I broke out into a grin. "Stay here, I'm gonna go get the others." I bolted inside and had to grip the doorway in order to keep from barreling into the table. Fury looked up and his eye widened at the sort of eccentric grin on my face. "You guys really need to see this," I said breathlessly and everyone stood, running with me out to the main landing pad.

"Jane!" Thor exclaimed, hugging his fiancée. I took that as a cue to run and hug my best friend tight. Darcy laughed and hugged me back.

"It's good you see you Evee!" I then found myself in a group hug with Sif and the Warriors Three, with Thor, Jane, and Darcy soon joining. I stood in front of Odin, smiling.

"Hello AllFather. It's nice to see you again." He nodded his acknowledgement. I turned to the others. "What are you guys even doing here?"

"Heimdall spoke of war," Sif replied.

"We want to help!" Darcy exclaimed and pulled out her taser. "In any way we can!" I smiled and looked over at Fury. He appeared to be thinking very deeply about the situation. "Everyone has weapons."

"Except me, unfortunately," Jane muttered with a pout. I straightened at this.

"I think I could help with that." I looked over at Fury. "It shouldn't be hard to create another weapon." He was still thinking it over, but eventually nodded a little.

"We just might need all the help we can get."

**xxxxOxxxx**

I hunched over the blueprints, sketching out the perfect weapon for Jane. It was a dagger, basically, but also had the capability of shooting darts from the hilt. Granted, it might take time to reload, but that's why it's also a dagger. There were also a few other modifications I was considering, but those would take time to add, and I wasn't sure how much time we had. I set down the pencil and rubbed my eyes, sighing to myself. Glancing at the phone sitting on my table, I scrunched my nose for a bit before sighing and swiping the phone from the desk. I flipped it open and scrolled through my contacts down to the Ls.

My finger hovered over Lisa's name. Would she even want to talk to me? It's been years since we spoke last, and Mom mentioned that she ran off to Paris. Still, she's basically the only connection left I have to Eddie. Mom and Eddie…they never got along really well. Finally, I hit her name and "call" before pressing the phone to my ear. I placed an empty blueprint over the one of Jane's weapon, just in case, and walked over to the bed, falling back onto it.

"Hello?" I felt my stomach tighten at the sound of her voice.

"Um, hey Lisa, it's Evee." There was a lot of silence for a lot of time.

"Evee?"

"Mhm." Silence again.

"Um…wow. It's been a while." I made a humming sound of agreement. "You have no idea how much I've missed you, Ev." We then spent the next hour talking. I found out she went to Paris for her job, and I told her that I was in D.C. for the moment. For the rest of the hour, we talked about everything. College, the weather, anything we could think of. It was obvious that we were avoiding the subject of Eddie, and when we finally ran out of subjects to talk about, there was nothing but silence. So silent that I thought Lisa had hung up.

"I miss him so much," she finally whispered, her voice watery.

"I do too," I responded quietly, reaching up to play with the puka shell necklace. "He really loved you, Leese." She sniffed.

"I need to go, it's way past my bedtime. You call me again, okay? I don't hear from you enough."

"Alright, I'll call whenever I get the time again. Later." There was a click, and then nothing. I looked down at my phone, staring at the picture behind the menu. It was of me, Lisa, and Eddie out at Belmont Park, in line for the roller coaster. God, I hated that coaster. It was wooden and I kept getting scared that it would break right under us. The fact that it creaked every time we turned hadn't helped at all. Aside from that terrifying roller coaster ride, that had been one of the best days of my life.

Glancing back over at the blueprints, I scrunched my nose in thought. The gears in my head began to turn and I leapt from my bed, speeding over to the desk and ripping the blank blueprints off of Jane's weapon's blueprints, clicking the pencil.

**xxxxOxxxx**

Loki watched Evee work on the blueprints after that phone conversation with the Lisa woman. Deciding that there probably wouldn't be anything else interesting for the rest of the night, Loki teleported back to the estate, and nearly ran into Johann as he did.

"Ah, Loki, I vas just looking for you."

"You found me. Can I be of assistance?"

"Not really, I vas just curious as to vhere you disappear to all zee time." Loki made an effort not to visibly tense, but could still feel his fingers stiffen at the question. "Doom is curious as vell, alzough he von't admit it."

"I don't think that's any of your business, Johann," he replied tersely, and began to walk away.

"My apologies, Loki. It's just…you're gone for such long periods of time, I fear you might miss somezing important during a trip."

"I can assure you, I'll have Doom catch me up should that happen. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some literature to catch up on." Loki began walking down the hallway, not looking over his shoulder. If he had, he would've noticed the sinister smile that appeared on Johann's face.

**This one is just…ugh. I don't know what to think about this one. It's kind of…I dunno…jumbled, I suppose. In my opinion anyway. Still, I wanted to get **_**something**_** down for you guys. And I like certain parts of this story, it opens up to the next plot point.**


	19. Going Shopping and a Startling Surprise

_I buried myself deeper under my covers, closing my eyes and clapping my hands over my ears. As if that would somehow completely silence my parents' yells. The words were jumbled to my ten-year-old mind, but I kept hearing the words "business" and "cheater" repeated after various intervals of time. The rain was pounding against my window, the booming thunder occasionally drowning out my mother's screams._

_Light shone through my blanket as the door creaked open, then closed. The bed sank next to me and I recognized the smell of the beach. Instinctively I burrowed into Eddie's warm body. He pulled the covers back and looked at my tear-stained face, frowning. "Why won't they stop fighting?" I asked quietly._

"_Well, Ev, it's kinda complicated. You know how Dad is always away, right?" I nodded. "Mom thinks that on one of his trips, Dad decided that he didn't love her anymore and kissed another lady." I gasped._

"_But…but Daddy wouldn't do that! Daddy loves Mommy!"_

"_I know, but Mommy is really upset right now. She isn't thinking straight." I frowned and sighed as Eddie listened to the rain. It was beginning to settle down, but not by much._

"_Are Mommy and Daddy gonna get a divorce?"_

"_No," he answered almost immediately. "Of course not."_

"_But Jenny's mommy and daddy got a divorce, and Jenny's daddy is a business person too!" Eddie shook his head, wrapping his arms around me. He held me so tight that I couldn't breathe for a second._

"_Mom and Dad aren't ever gonna separate, Evee. Okay?" I nodded against his chest. "We will always be together."_

It's raining. Again.

I hate the rain. It can go suck a dick. That's how much I hate it.

It's a bitch. A fat, stupid bitch. And I hate it. So much. It can kiss my ass.

Did I mention I hate it?

"Evee, get your forehead off of the floor. You don't know what's touched that rug." I rolled my eyes behind the lids, but turned on my back and sat up anyway. Jane was standing in the doorway with her hands planted on her hips. Oh God, here it comes. "You need to get off your ass and do something. You've been lying there all morning you could get a disease from that rug you don't know when it was washed last it could have so many germs on it blahblahblahblahblah-"

I shut her out and fell back against the carpet, burying my fingers in its plush fibers and closing my eyes. "Evee, are you even listening to me?"

"Nope." There was a huff and footsteps. I groaned as two hands locked around my wrists and pulled. Jane, being the stronger of us, easily hauled me to my feet. I opened my eyes and pouted. "Jaaaane, I don't want to get up! It's so depressing outside!"

"Only if you let it be, my dear Evee." I narrowed my eyes and grunted at her matter-of-fact tone. "Darcy and I are going to go shopping. Would you like to join us?"

"In this weather? No thanks." Jane rolled her eyes and walked over to my dresser, pulling out my favorite pair of comfy jeans and an old SDSU hoodie that was two sizes too big, but so comfy.

"You barely even have to get dressed. I'll wait for you outside of the door." I stuck out my upper lip again as she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. "If you aren't dressed in two minutes I'm coming in there and dressing you myself." I gave the door a "scarred for life" look and quickly pulled off my pajamas, changing into the jeans and pulling the hoodie on over my tank top. I threw my hair into a messy bun and applied a light bit of make-up. After tying on the comfiest, oldest pair of Converse I own, I opened the door and found Jane waiting outside, leaning against the wall. She frowned a little at my appearance, but then mumbled, "At least she's out of her room," and turned on her heel.

I followed her outside, pulling the hood over my head as we ran through the rain to the lift. Darcy scowled at my outfit. "You're wearing that to the mall?" I responded by giving her my nastiest glare.

"Darcy, be nice! You know Evee doesn't like the rain." It sounded like crashing symbols, the rain was hitting the roof of the lift so hard. The ride was short, and soon we were piling into Darcy's car and driving to the local mall. I stared hatefully at the rain blurring my window, as if trying to burn it with my eyes. We pulled into the mall parking lot and I ran with the others inside. The mall was pretty crowded, considering it was the day before Christmas Eve. At least we weren't going on Christmas Eve. Geez, that would be a nightmare.

"I'm going to go look at come headphones," Darcy said. "Either of you want to come."

"Actually, I'm going to take Evee to get some breakfast, I'll meet you in the food court, okay?" Darcy nodded and walked away. Jane looped her arm through mine and tugged down my hood before dragging me through the mall. We arrived at the food court and I got a bagel and a coffee, while Jane settled with just a coffee. We sat down at a table and I dug into my meal. "So, when were you planning on telling me about Loki's little visits?" I choked on my bagel, taking a gulp of coffee and panting to catch my breath before giving her an incredulous look. "Heimdall sees everything, Evee." I sat back in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest.

"For the record, he's technically stalking me." Jane arched an eyebrow. "He…he's been asking me to join him and Doom on his quest for world domination or whatever."

"Oh? Did you accept?" I gave her an "are you serious" look.

"Do you really think I'd be here if I accepted?"

"Right. Forgot. Sorry." I took another bite of my bagel, this time chewing more cautiously. "Have you told the others?" I shook my head violently.

"Are you kidding me? They'd freak out if they knew about my stalker."

"Well I think you should at least tell Thor. He deserves to know." I didn't look at Jane, instead staring at the brown coffee.

"I don't want him to be angry with me." To my surprise, Jane laughed.

"Oh please, Evee. Thor could never be angry with you. He thinks of you as his little sister." I smiled a little, feeling my cheeks burn. "I'm just glad I found out before Darcy and was able to tell her myself. She'd have come down here much earlier if I hadn't had told her." I chuckled, poking at my now nearly gone breakfast.

"Hey guys," Darcy greeted, sitting down with her packet of new earbuds. There was silence except for the sound of Darcy ripping the packet open.

The rest of the mall trip was uneventful, and it was about noon by the time we got back to the helicarrier. I had bought a new pair of work shoes, a new pair of Converse, and a couple of long-sleeved shirts for the rest of the time spent in D.C.

I entered my room with a yawn, dropping the shopping bags on the floor and collapsing in the bed. Rubbing my eyes, I stood to go find some sweats, as I planned to spend some time in the training room, when a figure suddenly appeared in front of me. He was bald, and his entire head was a ruby red.

"Ah, so zis is the mysterious Evee Thomas, hmm?" he asked, his voice dripping with malice. "I must admit, you are much prettier zan your clone." I turned and ran for the door, hearing him sigh behind me. "Stupid girl, alvays trying to run." My fingers barely brushed the doorknob before a cloth clamped down over my mouth. Considering the circumstances, my training for moments like this was completely forgotten and I struggled as best as I could against both the man's arms and the chloroform making me dizzy. But, eventually, both overwhelmed me and I dropped into blackness.

**xxxxOxxxx**

I sighed and turned another page in the book, my eyes skimming over the pages faster than usual. Odin, where had Johann gone to? He was supposed to give a demonstration of the staff replica an hour ago, but he never appeared.

"This was not part of the plan, Johann!" That was Doom, and he sounded very upset. I stood from my bed and strode over to the door. I opened it to find Doom already reaching for the handle.

"What's going on?" I asked and Doom sighed.

"Johann…has decided to take a hostage." My eyes bulged and my head swiveled over to Johann.

"Are you insane?" I demanded as we all walked towards the holding chamber. "I thought we agreed never to take hostages, they could escape and compromise us!"

"Oh, I zink you vill be very interested in zis hostage." I wasn't fond of the way he was looking at me. Like there was a private joke I was unaware of. We arrived at the holding chamber and Johann opened the door of the observation room, making a sweeping gesture with his hand inside. There were banging sounds from behind the window.

"Hey, let me outta here!" I recognized that voice and quickly walked inside, looking through the window. My heart stopped.

Evee was pacing the length of the chamber, staring at the ceiling. Occasionally she would slam her hand on the door or on the window before resuming her walking back and forth. Doom stood beside me, peering inside.

"It's Evelyn," he whispered, obviously shocked. "Why did you kidnap her? She is insignificant."

"To you and I, perhaps," Johann replied, nodding his head at me. "Zat is vhere Loki has been disappearing to. Visiting zat voman." Doom looked over at me.

"Indeed, I have. But for useful purposes, I assure you. She's practically part of the Avengers, I was spying."

"But vhy not spy on some ozer Avenger, hmm? Vhy not Captain America, or Iron Man?" I clasped my hands behind my back, sighing through my nose.

"Because I know Evee best. Better than my own brother, nearly. I can call her out on her bluffs and be able to remain unseen when around her." I looked back through the window. Evee was sitting against the wall now.

"Hellooo?" she called and the other two looked through the window. "Would someone be so kind as to explain WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" I resisted a smirk. Same old Evee.

"Alright, who wants to go in there?" Doom asked and we were silent. "Thanks for volunteering, Loki!" I didn't even have time to make a noise of surprise as I was suddenly shoved into the holding chamber with Evee. She stood as the door slammed and scowled viciously at me.

"Shoulda known you were involved in this." I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the wall.

"I can assure you, Evee, I was unaware of your abduction until around five minutes ago." She rolled her own eyes, leaning against the wall across from me.

"Sure you were. How am I supposed to believe anything you say anymore?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I don't know. Anyhow, it's your choice whether you believe me or not. I'm simply speaking the truth."

"What are you doing in here anyway?"

"Apparently I 'volunteered'." She made a face at my air quotes. I glanced back at the window, narrowing my eyes at the figures I knew were behind it. "And I would be so elated if I could please leave." I could imagine Doom rolling his eyes and the door opened. "Goodbye Evee." She grunted and lifted herself off of the wall, turning around so that her back was to me. Sighing a little, I turned on my heel and started to stride out of the room.

"I'll be gone before morning," I heard her murmur. "Just you watch." Chuckling, I didn't say anything as I walked out of the holding chamber. I walked right past Doom and Johann and out of the observation room. I ignored Evee's screams at the other two villains as I entered my room and slammed the door behind me. I then proceeded to pace the room repeating the same line over and over in my mind.

_She is insignificant._

**Sorry this took so long to get up! For some reason I've been having this weird kind of writer's block. It's like, I can't stop writing but when I finally sit back and read it over, I end up deleting it and starting over. I feel like I'm writing drunk and editing sober. This chapter was rather slow, I'll admit. Hopefully you guys haven't left me yet!**


	20. Panicking and Conversations

**OH MY LOKI GUYS, IT'S THE TWENTIETH CHAPTER! *happy dance* I have **_**never**_** gotten this far in a story before, and it's mostly because of you guys. Your reviews and adds are what keeps me going, what keeps me confident about my writing. I don't think I'll ever be able to truly thank you for all the sweet and generous praise I have been receiving.**

**Translation: I love you.**

**EDIT: Are you guys starting to dislike Evee? I received a review about someone starting to hate Evee. I know that a lot of people don't like OC stories, so I'm really trying to make Evee a likable character. If something about her is starting to bother you, please let me know. Seriously, I take all your advice and suggestions into real consideration.**

**EDIT #2: I've decided that there **_**won't**_** be a sequel for this story. I'll be ending it in this story. I've still got the Eyes Like Emeralds sequel to post (which I've gotten fairly far in writing-wise) and I've got another Thor story brewing in my head. It is kind of OC centered, but it's definitely **_**not**_** Loki/OC. In fact, I don't think there will be anyone I'll be pairing this OC with.**

**Thanks again for everything guys. You keep me writing, I hope you know that.**

Thor was panicking.

Evee had never showed up for breakfast, and when her room was checked there wasn't a trace of her, save for her shopping bags. The helicarrier was a flurry as people practically turned the place upside down in their search for her. A small team had been sent down into the city to look for her. With each passing second Thor found himself more and more concerned for Evee's well being. Had she been abducted? Was she okay? He couldn't stop pacing the length of the debriefing room, hoping for any sort of sign that Evee had at least _existed_. Sure, there were her clothes and her make-up and the hair ties she always used to braid her hair, but he needed some sort of sign that she hadn't just been some sort of shared figment of everyone's imagination.

Jane was equally worried, tapping her fingers impatiently against the silver tabletop. Darcy had her earbuds in her ears, the loud rock music easily heard in the silent room as she stared with empty eyes at the wall. That was how Darcy coped. She shut herself away with her music from the rest of the world, preferring not to think about the current situation. While they worried in the debriefing room, the others were either running around town or around the helicarrier. Coulson was calling Evee's old friends and her mother, asking if she'd been around then hurriedly making up an explanation at the negative answers.

Steve, Natasha, Bruce, and Peter went with agents Grant and Jackson down into D.C, each of them holding her picture and asking around. Being Christmas Eve, the streets were packed. They only got shakes of the head and the occasional, "No, sorry." Each one wore the group thinner than the last. Arguments had already broken out between Peter and Natasha twice. Steve and Bruce now had to walk between them as Grant and Jackson walked ahead.

The Asgardians had intended to search the city with the team, but were turned down due to their current war attire. Instead, they resorted to turning virtually every room in the helicarrier upside down, as if Evee was intending to be cruel and hide from them. The search was also beginning to stress the group of Gods, and more often than once Odin had to prevent a possible duel between an irritated Sif and a worried Fandral. Eventually Fandral retreated to Darcy's side, but her way of coping also included ignoring those around her. As a result, a dejected-feeling Fandral had moped off somewhere in the helicarrier.

Logan had begun sniffing around the helicarrier, following Evee's scent around the area as others, like Clint and Tony, preferred to search more physically. First he stopped by the training room, but all the different smells confused him to no end. So, he followed her scent to the kitchen. After that he decided just to search solitary areas, and headed to her room. Except for Hammer Boy's scent, all he could smell in the small area was Evee's scent everywhere. Then he began walking around and caught two extra scents. The first smelled sort of…minty. Mint mixed with magic. He wasn't sure how he knew it was magic, but he was almost certain.

He didn't like the second scent at all. There was something malevolent about the smoky scent. It instantly made him think of the color red for some reason. And fire. How peculiar.

Almost immediately after catching the scents, he bounded to the debriefing room. The team sent to D.C walked into the helicarrier as he ran past, and began running after him at the look on his face. Soon he had practically a crowd running after him.

Thor looked up as the furry man, Logan, burst into the room. The earbuds were out of Darcy's ears immediately and Jane stood abruptly, wringing her hands. Steve, Natasha, Bruce, Peter, Clint, Fury, Tony, and Coulson entered the room. The Asgardians followed, and Fandral felt his stomach flutter as Darcy grabbed his hand and pulled him to her side, needing some sort of solid, comforting figure now that she could no longer use her coping methods. But this was no time for romance, as Logan had begun to speak.

"There were definitely non-agents in Evee's room," he murmured, feeling a growl crawl up his throat. "I caught two scents that I weren't familiar with at all. The first was stronger than the second. Mint and magic."

"You can smell magic?" Clint asked incredulously.

"I don't even know anymore," Logan muttered, rubbing his nose with a frown. "But that person was there several times. More than twice." Whispers spread throughout the room, and Thor felt his heart drop into his stomach as he realized who that was.

"Loki has been visiting Evee," he muttered, but his version of a mutter was equivalent to a grown man's voice, and there was an uproar. Odin slammed his staff on the ground to quiet the yells of surprise.

"Was he the one that kidnapped her?" Steve demanded, something in his baby blues that no one had ever seen before.

"No, the most recent track of that scent was before she disappeared. A couple of hours, probably half of a day."

"And what of the second scent?" Fandral asked warily, not quite sure he wanted to know the answer.

"It smelled…I don't even know. Smoky. Like fire. And I thought of the color red when I smelled it, which is really weird." He scratched his head with a confused look that would suit a five-year-old. There was silence as people attempted to think of this person. Steve shook his head, his eyes widening.

"It's not possible," he whispered and Natasha looked at him.

"What is it?" He looked at the group, shock written all over his face.

"The one person that comes to mind when I think of that is Johann Schmidt. Also known as the Red Skull." A thick fog of surprise settled over the group.

"He's supposed to be dead," Natasha said slowly.

"Who is Johann Schmidt?" Sif asked.

"A Nazi soldier, Captain America's main enemy," Clint explained.

"He had to have been the one to kidnap Evee," Logan said. "His is the most recent scent." There were murmurs circulating the room.

"So…Loki is working with Doom and Red Skull?" Darcy asked incredulously, her face scrunching up at Thor's nod. "Well that's just great! I can't even begin to imagine how we're going to find her. I mean, who knows how much time we have left?"

"Darcy, don't think like that!"

"What? It's true!" Thor leaned against the wall, pursing his lips tightly. Just the thought of Evee having already passed to Valhalla made his stomach lurch. He'd come to think of her as his own sister, and he couldn't bear to consider the possibility that she was gone. And even if she was alive, how much time did they have to find her?

Either way, they needed to get moving. Fast.

**xxxxOxxxx**

I sighed and lightly kicked the white paneled walls again. Maybe, if I kick hard enough, it'll make one of those assholes behind the window come in here. Bringing my foot back, I was about to let it loose when the door began to open. I quickly spun around and slid down the wall, sitting on the cold floor. That red faced man and the masked one walked in. I tensed as I saw the red faced one wielding a sharp knife. Oh my.

"Hello Evelyn," the masked one greeted and I grunted in response. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been kidnapped," I answered dryly and the red one chuckled. "How long have I been here?"

"Not long," the red one answered, gripping the knife tighter and advancing. I quickly scrambled to my feet and stumbled to the opposite corner. I still ended up trapped. "Are you ready to talk now, _liebling_?" I scowled at the term of endearment.

"No, and I'm not your _liebling_." I swallowed and attempted to press myself further against the wall as he dragged the knife down my cheek.

"Come now, surely there is somezing you vould like to share?"

"Yeah, actually, I would." They both leaned in closer. "The Avengers are going to tear you to shreds when they find me," I hissed. The red one rolled his eyes and I bit back a wince as he quickly swiped the knife across my cheek, leaving a stinging cut.

"Johann, can we please move this along? I grow impatient." The red one, Johann, rolled his eyes yet again.

"Quiet, Doom. If you're are so excited to leave zen go and leave me vith zis pretty little voman." That statement made me press myself further against the wall. Doom scoffed behind his mask.

"Please. I barely trust you alone with the television remote." Then the door opened. I don't think I've ever been so relieved to see Loki.

"Gentlemen, might I please have a word with Evelyn?" Johann grumbled under his breath and I winced as he flicked the knife across my cheek again before stepping away from me. He and Doom exited the room and Loki waved his hand. The door shut with a click. Loki leaned against the farthest wall away from me as I rose a hand to my cheek. There was only a bit of the ruby liquid when I pulled away. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly and I rolled my eyes.

"I didn't know you cared." He was quiet, just staring at me. "I'm fine. It doesn't even hurt." All I received was a curt nod. "What do you want, anyway?" He shrugged.

"To talk?" I arched a brow, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Right. Talk." He was quiet again, staring at me. "What?" He waved his hand again and I watched the window grow darker. Then he was in front of me, wiping his fingers across my cheek. I bit back a shiver at his familiar cold touch. The bright red blood contrasted immensely against his pale skin.

"Would you like me to heal them for you?" The question made me shy away from his touch, crossing the room again.

"It's nothing. I'll live." I watched him nod and wave his hand again. There was a small click. "What did you just do?"

"I turned off the microphones. Doom and Johann have no business listening in on our conversation."

"Why them, anyway? Especially Doom. His mask is tied on a bit too tight, if you ask me." A low chuckle rumbled from his chest.

"He offered and I accepted. And it is Johann that is the crazy one. Doom is perfectly sane compared to that man." I arched an eyebrow, nodding.

"Is this the part where you tell me your evil plan?" I teased, waving my hands side to side a little.

"No, I'm fairly certain you'll find that out on your own." I gave him a look.

"In case it wasn't obvious, I'm kind of stuck here." He gave me a half smile.

"You're a clever girl, Evee. I'm sure you'll find a way out." The look in his eyes made me very suspicious. Glancing at his watch, he lifted himself from the wall. "I must be off. I apologize for the fact that our conversation wasn't as long as I had hoped. Goodbye Evee." He then waved his hand, opening the door. Once he was past the doorway, I bolted forward and slid on my knees, reaching forward to barely catch the door before it closed. It was barely open a sliver. Sure, I'm oh so clever. I could've done that hours ago!

Mentally face-palming myself, I listened as three pairs of footsteps walked farther and farther away, until a door shut somewhere. Pressing my lips together, I gently pushed open the door and peeked out. The observation room was empty. I quietly walked out of the room and into the vast hallway. It seemed to stretch on forever. And it was completely barren. There wasn't a soul in sight. How did they get this place cleaned? Did they not have maids? _Right, magic. Duh._ I began quickly walking down the hallway. I needed to get to a window of some sort. If the fall was short, then I would jump out. If not, I'd have to find stairs. How long has it been? It couldn't have been more than a few hours. That's how it had felt to me.

Suddenly footsteps could be heard on the carpet. I quickly ducked around a corner, clapping a hand over my mouth. The footsteps grew closer and I pressed myself farther against the wall as Logan walked past. Wait, Logan? I made a small squeak to get him to turn around, quickly going still as he surveyed the hallway. No, that wasn't Logan. His eyes weren't as brown and his sideburns were longer than that. I then remembered that Johann had said something about clones, and a terrifying thought occurred to me. _Did they clone everyone?_ I watched the clone turn around and continue walking down the hall. Staring at the clone's head for a moment, I rounded the corner and continued on my way.

"Well, when do you suppose we should attack?" I froze at that, looking towards the door. That had been Loki's voice. I pressed my ear gently to the door, listening to the deafening silence. Finally, someone sighed.

"Tonight. We have to attack tonight. We might not get another chance. With Evelyn gone, they're probably panicking. At their most vulnerable." I backed away from the door, and right into a solid figure. I turned and found myself face to face with Tony's clone. His cheekbones were too sharp, and the real Tony was much, much taller than that. We stared at each other for a moment before I straightened to my full height.

"You are going to forget I was ever here," I murmured firmly, looking the clone dead in the eye. The blank, apathetic look in his eyes was chilling. "You are going to walk away now and you will tell no one of this moment." His expression was blank as he suddenly walked past me. I sighed with relief and, remembering what had been said, turned and ran down the hallway. I turned God knows how many corners, thankfully not running into anymore clones before I finally found a window. Running to the sill and peering out, I saw that it was late afternoon and we were in the middle of a farm. A large farm, over two acres it appeared. Damn, whose property was this? I took a deep breath as I opened the window, looking over the edge. It wasn't a very far drop. I was probably only on the second story. The ground below was fairly grassy for December.

"It's either this or back to knife boy," I whispered to myself and climbed onto the windowsill, gripping the sides tightly. I squeezed my eyes tight and let go, jumping forward. I barely remembered to turn on my back before I hit the ground. The breath was knocked out of me on impact and I gasped loudly, coughing out the dust that filled my lungs. The ground wasn't grassy at all. It was hard and dusty with rocks that dug into my spine. It had been an illusion. Still, I was alive, which was good. And I was unharmed, as far as I could tell. A few cuts and bruises, and my ankle felt sore, but nothing major. I quickly scrambled to my feet and looked up at the large house before practically sprinting to the road, ignoring the shots of pain in my ankle.

Glancing from side to side, I spotted buildings in the distance. I took off at a run, my one and only goal at the moment being to find a phone.

**So, what did you think? Hopefully it wasn't too rushed or anything. I tend to sort of rush when I'm really excited about getting down the next chapter or posting.**


	21. Suiting Up and Church Bells

**It's good to know that you all don't despise Evee, I was getting worried for a second that I was writing her wrong. Thanks to the reader that explained his/her review to me, it really cleared things up!**

**Just for the anon who continues to say how much Evee is annoying or the characters are out of character: I **_**have not**_** read **_**any**_** of the comics. I base the Avengers' personalities off of what I see and how that processes. Clint seems like a sarcastic and cocky sort of person. That's how my brain processed his personality when I saw him in Thor. And how my brain processed Thor's behavior towards caring for Evee so much is that Jane thinks of her as a sister, so it's only natural that Thor would also think so. And for Steve falling in love with her so quickly and for the Avengers trusting her so easily: I wrote that Evee has been working with Coulson for three years. She has been at S.H.I.E.L.D for three years prior to the movie Thor. So it's possible that she was working there when the Avengers were assembled. She could've known Steve from the start. And I never said that Steve was in love with Evee. For all you know, it's just a schoolboy crush. For Natasha being too nice: Natasha barely has any speaking parts in this story. In fact, other than a few mentions, she barely has any role in this story **_**period.**_** Where did you get that she was nice? Furthermore, Evee is not perfect. She has flaws. She's violent, loud-mouthed, rude, and sarcastic, among other things. Also, it is possible for Loki to just "show up" at her house. He was weak from the fall and it was an empty house. I'm sure other people would do the same. You claim I'm copying another story. Please link me to this story so I can see for myself.**

**On a final note: if you dislike this story so much and have so many problems with it, then why did you bother reading this far and then reviewing **_**twice**_**?**

**My apologies to everyone that the above rant isn't directed at. I just felt the need to explain in case anyone else feels that way. This note is growing long, so I'll cut it off here.**

Darcy jumped as her phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket. The amount of people in the debriefing room had slowly dwindled down to just herself, Jane, the Avengers, and the Asgardians. And even then, no one really noticed her pull out her phone.

"Hello?" she asked, frowning at her voice. It sounded hoarse, and tired.

"Darcy?" The voice was muffled, but the dark-haired woman could hear the fear and panic nestled deep within it. She knew that voice.

"Evee!" she exclaimed, leaping up in her seat. Suddenly everyone's attention was on her. "Oh, thank God you're okay…you are okay, right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Darce," Evee replied, her laugh sounding full of relief. "Put Jane on the phone." Darcy held the phone out to her employer and friend, who eagerly snatched it away. Darcy frowned at that, but kept her mouth shut.

"Evee? Oh, you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice again!" There was silence as Evee spoke. "You're where? Tony, get me a piece of paper and a pen." He obeyed and she quickly wrote down Evee's location. "Alright, we'll be over there as soon as possible. Bye Ev." She hung up and handed the phone back to a grinning Darcy.

"Okay, Darcy and Jane will come with me to pick up Evee," Coulson said, but was quickly outmatched as the majority of the room argued against that. "Alright, alright, the Avengers can come!" The Asgardians frowned, but understood as they were still dressed in their war attire. Everyone was quickly flying down to the ground and in cars. After a _very_ close call with a big rig, there was a unanimous decision that Thor was not allowed to drive anymore.

The engines of the SUVs roared as the two trucks sped through D.C. and towards the small town outside of Baltimore that Evee was currently residing in. They arrived in under forty minutes, and soon began scouring the town for their technological analyst. Darcy found her residing in a small coffee shop, lazily stirring her tea. There were two parallel cuts on her cheek, along with tear marks in her clothes. Her hair was clean, but tangled like a rat's nest. Still, Darcy had never felt more relieved. A choked sob escaped her and Evee turned, her face lighting up with a grin. She stood from the table and ran into her best friend's arms as Darcy soaked Evee's shirt with tears of joviality.

"I thought you were gone," she whispered, hugging the blonde tight. She led her out to the rest of the group, where she was quickly swept into everyone's arms. Even Coulson gave her an awkward, one-armed hug around the shoulders.

"Are you injured at all?" Fury asked and Evee shook her head.

"No. My ankle hurt for a bit, but it feels fine now." He nodded. "There is something really important that I need to tell all of you." There were nods all around.

"Okay, let's just get you back to the helicarrier." The drive back to D.C. was surprisingly silent. Jane and Darcy could tell that Evee was waiting until they got in the debriefing room before she said a word. But they could also tell she was fixing to explode, she wanted to tell them so badly.

The moment they entered the debriefing room, Evee gave the ones who had stayed behind no time for hugs before she blurted out, "They cloned us!" Silence befell the room as everyone stared at the woman in shock.

"They cloned us?" Steve asked and Evee nodded.

"All of us. Even them, if my assumptions are correct," she added with a nod in the Asgardians' direction. "And…they're attacking tonight."

That created chaos.

The helicarrier was suddenly a frenzy as Fury began barking orders to prepare for battle and evacuate the city as quickly as possible. Evee had dragged Jane away and Darcy was currently preparing her taser when Fandral approached her.

"So we are going into war?" he asked and she stopped what she was doing, looking up at him with a small nod. "And there is a chance we might not make it?" She nodded again. "Right, well in that case." He suddenly grabbed her upper arms and pulled her towards him, crashing his lips against hers. Darcy stood there in shock for a moment before responding with a smile, wrapping her arms around his neck. They broke apart after a moment, both breathing hard but grinning like madmen.

"Man, I should go to war more often if this is what you're gonna do," she whispered and he laughed, pecking her lips. Steve ran past them and down the hall, decked out in his Captain America armor, and passed the cafeteria, where Evee was handing Jane the dagger.

"Alright, J, there's a dart gun in the hilt that you activate with this button," she gestured to a small button on the bottom of the handle, "I also added other minor modifications that can be discovered with these two buttons. No, don't press them now!" Evee quickly snatched the knife from the scientist. "Jesus Jane, do you want to get us all killed?" The woman shook her head with wide eyes.

Tony smirked and headed out of the cafeteria, rolling his neck before allowing the mask to cover his face. He walked by Clint, who was debating with Natasha on which bow was best to use: long distance or close range. Bruce was pacing along the wall of the weapons room with a nervous look on his face, wringing his hands repeatedly. Sif was helping Peter into his suit, tugging on his mask and sealing it at the back. Logan was sharpening his claws with Hogun watching, quite interested as to how those knives came out of his hands. Volstagg was with Thor, trying to pick up his hammer.

"Evee, come here!" Sif ordered and the blonde approached the warrior warily. "I brought you some armor from Asgard. I wore this when I was younger, so it should fit you. Come, I'll help you put it on." They walked into a separate room and Evee quickly changed into the armor, pulling the heavy gold chest piece on over the leather and chain mail tunic. Sif tied on the leg guards and shoulder protectors as Evee struggled with the arm pieces. She quickly braided her hair down her back and pulled on the offered sandals. She took her staff from Sif's outstretched hand. The armor fit perfectly.

"Thank you Sif. What about Jane and Darcy?"

"I provided them with armor as well." Sif took several steps back and nodded with a satisfied smile. "You look like a true warrior." Evee grinned and clicked a button on her staff, watching as it snapped to its full size. It was well into the night by now, and the city was almost fully evacuated. The president had been flown to a private bunker with the other high-ranked political figures, and the citizens were being moved to nearby cities. Evee was surprised at how smoothly the process was going. Had this been Baltimore or New York, there would be Hell on Earth. She walked with Sif out to the debriefing room, where everyone else was crowded against the walls and in the doorways. Fury was looking around at them, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I wish that I could say our battle strategy is foolproof," he began, leaning forward to place his hands on the table. "I wish I could say that all of us will make it out of this alive. But I can't. I can't say any of those things. Because if I did, then that would make me a liar." A large hand wrapped around Evee's and she looked up at Steve. He wasn't looking at her, but staring straight ahead with a solemn expression on his face. Evee squeezed his hand reassuringly, looking forward when he looked down. "There is a very large chance that we're going to lose people tonight. Good people. So, let's go down there knowing that we can beat these guys and dammit, I don't doubt you will." Darcy smiled, lightly touching the handle of her taser. Jane gripped her knife tightly in her hand, using her other hand to try and break Thor's fingers. Fury looked around at the team. The dysfunctional, amazing team that would most likely be short a couple members by the end of the battle.

"Let's move."

**xxxxOxxxx**

Nobody said a word as the team descended into D.C. The streets were quiet, save for music playing in abandoned shops or the occasional breeze rustling the trees. Darcy could still hear people running from the city in the distance. It was a sound similar to a stampede. The dark haired woman would've hated to be on the streets while people were evacuating. Everyone was completely silent, even their breathing was quieted as they looked around for any sign of the enemy.

"We were wondering when you would show up." They all looked forward and Darcy gasped audibly, taking a step back. There was Loki, Doom, and Red Skull, but in rows in front of them were exact replicas of the people standing around her. Including her friends from Asgard, as Evee had said. Their expressions were completely emotionless, something Darcy could see even from such a great distance. She glanced up at the rooftop Clint was stationed. Directly opposite was Clint's clone, staring at the trio of enemies. "Honestly, we were growing bored." That was Doom speaking, his voice a little muffled due to the silver mask on his face.

"You can end this now, Doom," Tony called, pressing a button and letting the mask pull back from his face. "There doesn't have to be any violence."

"Oh yes," he replied, and Darcy could hear the grin in his voice, "there does." Suddenly, there was the sound of an arrow flying through the air. An arrow that barely missed CloneDarcy's cheek. The real Darcy flinched involuntarily at this. CloneDarcy looked up at the rooftops and waved her hand lazily. Clint cried out from above, landing with a thud and a gasp behind the team.

"My God," Jane whispered, her brown eyes wide with shock.

"Sir, we await your orders," the clones said in unison, and their monotone voices, different frequencies but with the same level of apathy, gave Darcy the chills. Doom tilted his chin up a little and the clones straightened. Off in the distances, church bells started to chime. On the twelfth chime, a sigh could be heard and Loki smirked.

"Merry Christmas," Evee whispered.

"Attack!"

**Well? How was it?**


	22. Merely Surviving and Temporary Peace

**The ending has been rewritten because I, along with others, found myself extremely dissatisfied with how it ended.**

**To **_**Loki's Little Helper**_**: You probably aren't even reading this anymore, but I just need to say that you will never know how sorry I am for everything. Looking back and actually reading through my story carefully, I do realize that there are many similarities. I just need you to know that it was completely unintentional. I tend to do that subconsciously, and usually someone needs to tell me in order for me to realize it. I'm a very overly-emotional person, and the guilt I feel right now has been gnawing away at me all day as I self-loathed and I wasn't able to sleep last night because I felt so terrible. I wish there was some way to make it up to you.**

**I also wish you had told me sooner. Maybe it wouldn't have come to this.**

**In other news: OH MAH LOKI DID Y'ALL SEE THE NEW AVENGERS TRAILER? I LITERALLY SCREAMED LIKE A FANGIRL IT'S SO FULL OF WIN AND EPIC AND JUST AHHH! Sorry, mini-spaz attack. Marvel just uploaded it today, and it's so amazing! It comes out two days before my brother's birthday. I think you know what we're doing for his birthday…**

**This story is close to its curtain call. I've had a blast writing it, and I'm happy to know that you guys (well most of you) enjoyed it as well.**

Loki moved stealthily through the fight, narrowly avoiding arrows and daggers and bolts of electricity from both Evees' staffs. His eyes raked over the fighters, searching for his target. Thor was in a fierce battle with Captain America's clone, swinging his hammer around wildly. He narrowly missed the clone's head at one point. Loki knew it could be a while, and he didn't want to interrupt, so he simply resorted to leaning against the wall. It wasn't long, though, until a thin shadow spun into his line of vision and stuck into the wall above him. He was quick to scramble from the wall as gracefully as he could, facing the source of the attack.

The great Captain America was standing in front of him, his hands clenched into fists and something burning in the man's eyes that surprised Loki. Whenever he would watch Evee at work, Rogers had a generally calm persona. This…this was different. He looked extremely angry. Loki watched with wary amusement as Rogers pulled the shield from the wall, turning towards him. Knowing a fight was brewing, he smirked.

"I don't think you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this," he teased and Rogers growled. Before he could even react, however, he found a fist connecting with his jaw, sending him flying backward. Loki landed neatly on his feet, rubbing his jaw not out of pain, but shock. _How in Niflheim did he catch me off guard?_

"That's for Evee," he growled, and Loki felt his hands ball into fists. How dare he talk of Evee like she is his! He's seen the way she looks at him. She doesn't belong to Rogers at all, and she knows it! With an angry cry, Loki dove forward and tackled Steve to the concrete, bringing his fists down on his nose repeatedly. He felt his Jotun blood course through him, and was about to freeze pretty boy's stupid little face when there was a cry behind him. He knew that cry, and apparently so did his opponent. Rogers shoved Loki off of him, the God standing straight. With a flick of his hand, the mortal went flying into the nearby wall. He turned to see Evee already getting to her feet, a determined fire in her eyes as she barked orders to Jane. He smirked again.

_That's my girl._

Looking over his shoulder at Rogers, he arched a brow. The mortal was still on the ground. _What a weakling._ He turned to search for Thor, and felt something hard suddenly pound against his back. He stumbled forward a couple steps, whereas if he had been human he'd be flying. Turning, he found a bleeding Rogers on his feet, his hand to his nose.

"I've no time for your games, mortal. If you are to fight me, make it swift so I can defeat you," he goaded, examining his nails lazily with a deep chuckle. Rogers narrowed his eyes and it looked like he was about to lunge when suddenly Captain America was thrown forward to reveal Evee's clone, holding the staff replica like a baseball bat. They locked eyes and Loki gave her a small nod of thanks. He looked around for Thor, but the God of Thunder was nowhere to be found. _Where has that oaf run off to?_ Scrunching his nose, he placed an invisibility shield over himself and began to search.

**xxxxOxxxx**

"This isn't working!" Darcy shouted, her taser yet again missing her clone. Evee set her jaw, twirling her staff through the air in hopes of confusing the clone, then swinging it at CloneDarcy. She barely missed, so Jane took her turn by shooting a dart. It stuck in her arm and the women cheered. Their victory was short lived, however, for CloneDarcy made a large sweeping gesture with her arm. The women flew backwards, Evee crying out in shock. The trio landed with a thud, Darcy's head bouncing on the concrete.

"Darcy!" Jane exclaimed and they both scrambled to their feet. Jane sprinted to the college grad and examined her. "She's unconscious, but alive!"

"Get her somewhere safe," Evee ordered. "Now!" Jane nodded and struggled to pick up Darcy, running towards a separate alleyway. CloneDarcy noticed and began running in that direction. "Oh no you don't!" Evee cried out and began at a run towards the clone. She was finally able to catch the clone off guard and swept her staff downward, letting it crash against the clone's ankles. CloneDarcy dropped to the ground and Evee slammed the end of her staff on her stomach. CloneDarcy gasped and Evee was quick to hit the button for the wires of the column touching CloneDarcy's stomach. "This is for the real Darcy," she hissed. The wires were teasingly slow in winding around the column, and once they went electric CloneDarcy spasmed for a few minutes before going still. "Bitch," Evee spat, standing straight.

Jane walked out of the alley after hiding the unconscious Darcy to find her own clone leaning against the wall next to the entrance, smiling sadistically. "Hello there," it muttered and Jane fought back chills. The clone's voice was no longer emotionless, but instead laced with malice. "I must admit," it drawled, lifting itself from the wall and slowly walking towards her, "I didn't think I'd get the chance to meet you. I figured you'd be too busy draping yourself over Thor. But he's not here, is he?" Bewildered, Jane's eyes searched the fighting crowd. The real Thor was indeed nowhere in sight.

"What have you done with Thor?" she demanded and the clone smirked, examining its nails.

"I haven't done anything," it said, its tone of voice sickly sweet. "I could never _possibly_ hurt your adorable little boy toy. Especially not with the wedding so close." Jane kept her spine straight, not allowing herself to become intimidated as the clone began to walk closer, drifting behind her. It leaned forward, its breath rustling her hair. "And _especially_ not with the little surprise on the way," it whispered in her ear, reaching forward to gently drag its fingertips across Jane's stomach. Jane went rigid, and the clone smiled.

"How do you know about that?" she whispered.

"Jane, _darling_, I'm your clone." It took a step back and walked around her, stopping in front of the woman. "I'm an exact replica of you. I know every thought that goes through your pretty little head!" It reached forward to tap the top of Jane's head. "It'd be such a shame if you didn't make it to your precious wedding. Or, back to Asgard at all!" Its voice was cheerful, making Jane growl internally. She pulled her dagger from her sheath. The clone held up a wagging finger. "Ah, ah, ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Then she shrugged. "Too late." Her eyes raked over the weapon and suddenly one of her own appeared in her hand. Jane's jaw dropped. "Darcy's clone isn't the only one with special abilities, you know," she sang, and then lunged.

"Evee!" The blonde turned to see Jane narrowly dodging her clone's new knife. "Go check on Darcy!" She nodded and began running towards the alleyway she saw Jane pull Darcy into. Suddenly a figure stepped into her line of sight.

"And just where do you think you're going?" a high, squeaky voice said and Evee scowled at her clone. _Jesus, is that what I really look like?_

"That's not any of your business," she replied stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest. CloneEvee smirked and began its own slow circle around her, examining her. As if it was trying to figure something out about her. Evee watched warily, her hand gripping her staff so tightly her knuckles were white. They made eye contact and her clone smirked again, but this time there was something sinister about it.

"He doesn't love you, you know." Evee felt herself go rigid, and her eyes narrowed.

"I don't know you're talking about." This time, her clone giggled maniacally.

"He never has," it continued, its baby blues twinkling with delight. "And he never will. He's been using you this whole time." Evee's heart was pounding in her ears. "He only needed you in order to help himself heal. You mean _nothing_ to him." Evee was so shocked by its words that she didn't notice the clone's staff slowly shape into a spear. The clone drew its arm back and was about to kabob Evee when there was suddenly a squishy sound. CloneEvee gasped and Evee took a few steps back, staring at the tip of the glass shard sticking out of its stomach. It retracted and CloneEvee tried to gasp again, but all that came out was a gurgle as blood dripped over the corners of its mouth. It crumpled to the ground to reveal a weary looking Darcy, the hair on the back of her head matted to her skull.

"Stupid…bitch…was getting…annoying," Darcy was able to rasp out and Evee caught her as she fell forward.

"Alright Darce, let's settle down," Evee chuckled, sitting the girl on the concrete against the wall. She started to stand straight when suddenly her head exploded. Metaphorically, of course. Evee gasped and grabbed her head as her clone's voice began filling up her mind. It was like a million CloneEvees were speaking in her head at once.

"_He doesn't love you..."_

"_He's been using you…"_

"_He never has-"_

"_You mean nothing to him."_

"_-and he never will."_

It was like its voice was trying to drill the facts into her mind. And it was starting to work. Suddenly, there was a sharp sting on her cheek. "Evee, snap out of it!" Her eyes opened and she realized that she had collapsed on the dirty alley floor. Thor was looking at her worriedly, Darcy wearing the same expression.

"Are you alright?" Thor questioned.

"And just where the hell have you been?" Evee demanded, ignoring his interrogation. He smiled sheepishly.

"A young child had not made it out of the city in time. I was returning her to her family." Evee scrunched her nose as Darcy beamed. "Come, there is still a battle raging." Evee nodded and grabbed her staff, awkwardly attempting to stand in her armor as she shook the clone's mocking voice from her head. So what if Loki didn't love her? It's not like she harbored similar feelings for him.

Already the little voice in the back of her mind was scolding her. Of course Evee had feelings for Loki! Feelings that she couldn't, and shouldn't, deny. Evee ignored it all, though. There was a war going on; this wasn't the time for emotional conflicts. She walked with the other two out into the street, glancing around. The sounds of fighting were nearly deafening, and Evee watched Thor lightly tap the dead clone with the tip of his boot. Both girls jumped when Thor suddenly went flying back into the alley. There was a shimmer and the attacker was revealed to be Loki. Evee attempted to swallow the lump in her throat. Thor shoved Loki off of him and scrambled to his feet, looking at the pair.

"Go!" he shouted and they bolted from the alley and into the battle. Almost immediately an arrow whizzed by Darcy's face and she narrowed her eyes at Clint's clone.

"I'm gonna go take care of that assface," she muttered and disappeared into the battle. Evee was vaguely aware of Darcy shouting the real Clint's name before she tightened her grip on her staff and looked around for some action. It came in the form of Tony Stark. Or, at least, his replica. Evee shrugged.

"I'll just imagine it's the real thing," she mused to herself, and CloneTony narrowed his eyes. "And you don't even have your armor! How pitiful!" CloneTony raised his hand, and Evee tilted her head to the side as a soft glowing began in his palm. Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening. Then, without warning, something wrapped around her waist and she was flung to the side. She landed against a wall as a beam shot from CloneTony's hand, but her vision was obscured by a large, cold, clanking object. She glanced up at Iron Man's mask and its blank stare. "I think Doom gave abilities to all of the clones!" she shouted over the sound of CloneTony's beam.

"I wouldn't have guessed," Tony replied dryly, making Evee glare at him. Suddenly the beam turned on him and he cried out in shock, pressing the pair tighter against the wall. "Shit!" he cursed. "Jarvis, status report!" Evee was unable to hear Jarvis, but Tony's mask suddenly retracted, revealing Tony grinding his teeth together.

"Tony, your armor!"

"I'm well aware," he muttered, and wrapped his arms tighter around Evee before shooting into the sky and out of the beam's way. Almost immediately Evee crushed her eyelids together.

"Putmedownputmedownputmedown!" she repeated and Tony landed on a roof. She stumbled out of his grasp, trying to calm her slamming heart. "Fuck, Tony! You know I hate heights!"

"Well what else was I supposed to do? Let the beam scorch a hole in my spine?" Evee scrunched her nose, and walked around behind him. There was a large, circular hole in his armor. Luckily the beam hadn't gotten through to his skin.

"Will you be able to operate with that?" she questioned and he shrugged, his armor clanking together loudly.

"I should be. Jarvis said the damages weren't too bad. I might not be able to use my own beams for as long, though." Evee peered over the edge of the roof to search for CloneTony, but he was nowhere to be found. Finally, she spotted him with an arrow in his chest, sprawled out on the road. She smiled a little and looked across the way at Clint, who was giving her a raised thumb. She returned the gesture and turned to Tony.

"Can we go back? Please?" He nodded and returned her to the ground, where Fury was shouting.

"Remember! These are just clones! They aren't the real thing!" That left Evee wondering if someone had hesitated. She searched for Thor, or even Loki, but couldn't find either of them. She turned in a full circle about three times before giving up on her search. Hopefully they were okay. But her thoughts were soon preoccupied by Natasha's clone, which proved to be quite a challenge with her fighting skills. But Evee's always liked a challenge, so it didn't matter.

Once she had taken CloneNatasha down (fried her extra crispy, she did), she looked around for her next opponent. CloneClint dropped from a nearby rooftop, a victorious Darcy standing at the edge with her hands on her hips. CloneSteve was slumped over a park bench, his head halfway gone. CloneLogan had been dismembered (Evee nearly vomited), and ClonePeter was hanging by his neck from a telephone pole. Clones Sif, Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral were all twisted inhumanly around the jungle gym, and Clones Frigga and Odin were on their stomachs on the swings, gently swinging. CloneBruce, currently in the form of CloneHulk, was sprawled out on the crushed trees with a gaping wound in his chest. That was nearly everyone, but where were Clones Thor, Jane, and Fury? She hadn't seen a CloneCoulson, leaving Evee to believe that he hadn't been duplicated.

Suddenly, a man in a red cloak went flying past her, skidding on the ground. His skull had been bashed in and Evee gasped, running to him. She turned him over on his back, and was relieved to see the too-brown locks of hair peeking out from the helmet. It was just the clone. Then she looked up and watched as the real Natasha crept behind CloneFury and drove a knife into his back. _Wow, can you say backstabber?_ Evee couldn't help the giggle at her own personal joke, then searched for CloneJane. She glanced around, close to disbelief. Many of the Avengers were deeply wounded. Sif's arm was bleeding and Fandral was limping wearily. She felt like letting out a sigh of relief, though.

_Is it really almost over?_

"Father, look out!" Thor called behind her, and Evee turned to see a dagger flying towards Odin. CloneJane's arm was stretched out, and she was smiling victoriously. Evee turned back in horror, knowing that it must be too late for him. Thor was already running towards the AllFather. _No._ The knife was nearly to Odin when it suddenly stopped. Thor stopped dead in his tracks and Evee's eyes widened. Red Skull and Doom visibly tensed and a figure stepped out of the shadows, his face scrunched in concentration as he held up his hand. CloneJane's smile slipped from her angular face, and her eyes widened. Evee felt a smile forming, but kept it back. This could be a trick.

Then, the dagger flipped around and went flying towards CloneJane, right through her forehead. Darcy gasped loudly from a nearby alley, having climbed down from the rooftop. The clone dropped instantly and Evee swerved her head around to stare in shock at the sorcerer. He was staring at her, but then his eyes flickered to Thor and Odin.

"Have you come to join us brother?" Thor demanded, all while Doom and Red Skull stared in shock.

"Indeed," he replied, walking over to the shocked group. Evee stared at him suspiciously, and they locked eyes.

"No tricks?" she questioned and he shook his head.

"No tricks." She bit her lip, still rather weary. "I can prove it." She arched a brow.

"Oh really?" He chuckled and nodded. "How?" He was in front of her then, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her against him. He then proceeded to lean down and place his lips against hers. The kiss was gentler than the last, and filled with so much passion that Evee was light-headed for a moment. She didn't pay attention to the war-torn city surrounding her. All of that seemed to just disappear. It was just her and Loki, if only for a moment. He pulled back and Evee couldn't speak, she was so breathless. Then, she finally asked, "Where was all that the first time?" He simply smirked that devilishly sexy smirk she loved so.

"I alvays knew you cared for her," a voice said in the distance and she turned to look at Red Skull and Doom. Doom had an arm around the bald man's waist. "So long, Loki. It's been a pleasure." Everyone had just begun to move when there was a pop, and the two villains disappeared. Loki still had a tight arm around Evee's waist, and she realized that he hadn't even looked at them. He was resting his cheek against her forehead.

"Loki, everyone's looking at us."

"Your point?" Evee grinned and pulled away from him. Odin approached with Thor trailing along behind. "Father, Brother, have I disintegrated all hope of forgiveness?" he asked and Evee looked between the two. Odin stared intently at him before crossing his arms over his chest.

"My son," he murmured and Evee saw Loki start to grin, "when it comes to family, there is no limit for my forgiveness."

"I promise, I won't disappoint you." A ghost of a smile appeared on Odin's face.

"I know you won't." Evee grinned as well and rested her head on Loki's shoulder. For now, it was over. And although misshapen and deformed, Evee considered this a form of peace.

Just for now, everything was okay.

**One more chapter, and then the epilogue! Excuse me while I go cry in a darkened corner.**

**Once again, to **_**Loki's Little Helper**_**: I'm so unbelievably sorry. I hope that you're reading this so you can truly know how guilt-ridden I'm feeling for all of this. You're an amazing writer, and the last thing I want is to copy anything from you. Please forgive me. Even if it's a small little smidgen of forgiveness, I'll be grateful.**


	23. Christmas Presents and Letting Go

"Merry Christmas!" Evee smiled as she wandered around the debriefing room, watching the Avengers exchange gifts with each other and the Asgardians. It was well into the day, nearly noon, and the entire morning had been spent decorating the debriefing room for the holidays. Loki had been the one to clean up D.C. using his magic.

"Here." Evee jumped as Natasha suddenly tossed a poorly wrapped present in her direction. It was flimsy, leaving her to believe that it was some type of clothing. Natasha sat down in the seat closest, her short red curls bouncing as she did. Eying the woman warily, Evee looked down and tore off the wrapping paper, pulling the object inside out. It was a mask. A black mask with a flash of yellow, shaped like a lightning bolt, around the eyes. It was simple, not really anything special. But still, Evee looked at Natasha in disbelief. "You can't just go running around kicking bad guy butt without _something_ to hide your identity," she explained in a bored tone of voice.

"Um, thanks Natasha. What about you?"

"I don't need one, since I hardly ever do things like this in public areas." She nodded, and then examined the bolt around the eyes.

"What's with the yellow part?"

"That's a lightning bolt, obviously." Evee rolled her eyes. "I thought that could be your superhero name. Like how Steve is Captain America and Tony is Iron Man. You're Bolt." She nodded again, feeling a small smile.

"Thanks. That's really thoughtful of you." She shrugged.

"Just don't expect anything else." Evee rolled her eyes again as Natasha stood and walked away. Glancing at the mask one last time before folding it up and sticking it in her pocket, she looked around for a particular person. Scrunching her nose curiously, Evee wandered out of the room and onto the landing pad, smiling as she saw the lean, dark-haired man standing there, looking out at everything. She approached and took her place next to him, sticking her hands in her jacket pockets.

"You humans are an odd species," he murmured and she looked up at him. "You're capable of so much hate and evil and corruption. And yet, you're also capable of a great amount of compassion and determination and proverbial strength. It's astounding."

Evee smiled a little, looking out at the Christmas morning. "We're not so different from you," she responded quietly, feeling his sudden gaze on her. "But, we have much more to learn than you lot."

Loki chuckled. "I've never heard a truer statement." Evee's smile grew wider as she debated hitting him or not. Decided on the latter, she slipped her arm through his and rested her hand in the crook of his elbow, letting her head rest on his upper arm.

"When are you guys going back?" she asked quietly.

"In a few hours, I should think." He pulled back a little, staring down at her. "Are you certain you can't come back with us?" Her eyes flickered up to him for a moment before she sighed through her nose and returned her gaze to the sky.

"There are things here that I need to take care of here. People I need to take care of here. Plus, Doom and Red Skull are still on the loose somewhere out there. I…I want to help bring them to justice." She pulled the mask from her pocket and held it out to him. "There's proof, if you need it." His eyes, filled with melancholy, never left her face as he took the mask. "Once we catch them and once I take care of the things needed to be taken care of, I'll come to Asgard."

"I suppose I can live with that," he murmured with a sigh, handing her back her mask after studying it. She stuck it back in her pocket and there was a long period of silence between the two. "I have a confession to make," he finally announced, looking down at her. His eyes visibly softened and a small smile made his lips curve. "It seems…erm…" he cleared his throat and she arched a brow, "it seems that I've grown quite fond of you during our time together." Evee grinned and rolled up onto her tiptoes in order to plant a passionate kiss on his cold lips.

"I like you too," she whispered as she pulled back. He grinned and laughed a little, reaching up to scratch the back of his head.

"Well…good…because if you didn't then I'd be thoroughly humiliated and-"

"Oh shut up!" she laughed, grabbing his tie and pulling him down to her level, kissing him again. He responded almost immediately, placing his hand on the back of her neck in order to pull her closer. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled away after a moment and brushed a blonde curl behind her ear.

"I'm going to miss you terribly," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.

"I'll miss you more," she replied quietly, enjoying the comfortable and familiar feeling of his cold touch on her skin as he placed his fingertips on her cheek ever so lightly. "But I'll be back soon, I promise. Only a month until Jane and Thor's wedding."

"Actually," he replied with a chuckle, pulling his face farther back. "It's a year for Midgardians." Evee's eyes bulged and Loki smiled sheepishly. "A month on Asgard is a year on Midgard. Thor did not tell you?"

"No," she muttered through gritted teeth, "he didn't." Then she frowned. "That means I have to wait a whole year until I see you again." She leaned forward and let her head drop on his chest. He chuckled again and wrapped an arm wrap around her shoulders.

"Don't worry, my dear. The time will fly faster than a tardy Hermes." She looked up in shock at this, and he laughed. "I will explain another time, I swear it." Her nose scrunched but she shrugged. His face suddenly lit up. "Oh my, I almost forgot your Christmas gift!" He dug around in the pockets of his coat, speaking as he did. "I saw this in a window of a store early in the morning, and I thought it was kind of perfect." Finally, he pulled a dangling piece of jewelry from his coat, letting the teardrop emeralds that were linked onto the chain sparkled in the sunlight.

"Wow," she breathed, "it's beautiful. And definitely perfect," she added with a laugh, watching him clasp it around her wrist. The emeralds clinked as the bumped into each other. He smiled and leaned down to press his lips against her forehead. She smiled and settled into the arm he wrapped around her shoulder, letting her eyes slip closed in content.

**xxxxOxxxx**

"I'll miss you so dearly!" Volstagg bellowed, Evee struggling to catch her breath in his suffocating grip. She let out a choked laugh, awkwardly patting his shoulder.

"Okay buddy, you can put me down now," she was able to squeeze out.

"I don't want to," he muttered, and finally, with the combined efforts of Tony, Steve, Thor, and Loki, Evee was standing on her feet again. She tightly hugged Jane and Darcy, promising the former she'd be there for the wedding. And then, she found herself in front of Loki. Before she could even speak, he had pulled her into his arms, leaning down so that he could bury his face in her neck.

"Don't forget to think of me," he whispered, the cold wisps of air against skin making her fight make shivers.

"I don't think I could ever forget. Don't let those fair maidens seduce you, alright?" He chuckled.

"I swear on my immortal life. And compared to you, I don't think those women could compare," he replied and Evee rolled her eyes. He pulled back and kissed her. It was a bittersweet kiss, leaving her with both butterflies and a sinking feeling in her heart when he pulled back. "I like you," he whispered and she laughed quietly, pecking his lips tenderly.

"I like you more." He smiled and she took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "I'll see you soon."

"I know I will." She took several steps back, keeping their hands linked until the distance was just too far and she had to let go. She backed up until she was in front of the Avengers. Feeling a soft grip on her shoulder, she looked up at Logan, who was smiling down at her.

"This is how I wished my situation with Jean had ended up," he whispered in her ear and she smiled sadly. "But I'm happy that your situation ended like this, and not the other way." Letting out a small breath, she leaned back against him and watched the portal open as everyone began to walk through. Loki hesitated, looking at her over his shoulder. A tight grip encased her heart as she suddenly felt that overwhelming sadness.

She didn't want him to go.

And before she could even register what was happening she was back in his arms, burying her face in his shoulder with her feet in the air. Loki held her tightly, his lips on the side of her head.

"Don't forget me," she whispered, and there was silence before she felt his lips on her ear.

"Never." He set her down, not kissing her. If he did, then she was certain she'd end up with him back in Asgard. "Goodbye Evee." She shook her head.

"This isn't goodbye. Just…see you soon." He smiled.

"Alright then. See you soon." She laughed a little and watched him back up before turning around and walking through the portal. She made a move to step forward when it suddenly closed. Evee felt tears in her eyes and took a deep breath, staring at the empty space where the portal had once been. The Avengers then began walking away.

"C'mon Evee," Peter said softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. They trailed along behind, and Evee glanced down at her bracelet, shaking her wrist just to hear the tinkle. Hopefully the time would fly by as quickly as Loki had promised. Seeing Tony and Logan begin arguing ahead, she felt herself smile a little.

She might not make it a whole year.

**Oh my gosh this is the penultimate chapter! I'm gonna miss this story so much! I've definitely had my ups and downs writing this, but I'm gonna miss all my amazing readers so much. I'll do the dedications and thanks and everything at the end of the epilogue.**


	24. Epilogue

Loki folded his hands in front of him, smiling as he looked up at Thor and Jane. The latter looked stunning in her wedding gown, the golden fabric shimmering like the stars themselves with the veil falling over the braided bun atop her head. Her constantly growing stomach bulged from the gown, but she was still glowing with pregnancy. Just a month or so more, and then their baby boy would be born. Thor looked quite royal in his armor, only he wasn't wearing the helmet. Loki could practically feel all the gooey love emotions radiating from the two of them. It was quite disgusting, really. He would never act that way around Evee. Well, at least not in public.

Letting his eyes flicker around, he resisted a frown as he was unable to spot those silvery blue eyes among the crowd. Then again, she was quite short and the throne room was practically crammed with people from all the Nine Realms. Titania and Oberon were at the front, with Princess Rosalba between them. Her sunset eyes glistened with jovial tears and her husband, her former tutor, placed a soft kiss on the side of her head. Loki smiled as he remembered that one particularly eventful time in his teenage years when Rosalba had run off, and he, along with Thor, had to bring her back to Faylinn. That had been an interesting period of time.

Zeus, Hera, and several of the other Greek Gods were gathered behind them. He caught Apollo's eye and grinned. His old friend returned it ten-fold, only to be poked and silently scolded by Artemis.

Darcy was standing on the other side of the aisle next to Fandral. Their hands were clasped tightly, her head resting on her shoulder as she silently wept for her friend. Loki was surprised that a year had passed by so quickly, it was astounding. He hadn't seen a strand of white-blonde hair during the entire time, and that worried him slightly. Had she been hurt? Had Doom or Red Skull gotten to her? Was she…no. He wouldn't dare to even consider the possibility. Besides, if she had passed on to Valhalla then he would know it. The bracelet he had given her for that interesting holiday, Christmas, had been charmed so that he had a sort of bond with Evee. If something were to happen to her, he would know it.

"Prince Thor Odinson, do you take Lady Jane Foster to be your wedded wife?" Odin finally asked, looking between the two with a glistening eye. Thor was beaming, and Loki felt himself smile.

"I do."

"Lady Jane Foster, do you take Prince Thor Odinson to be your wedded husband?" Tears were streaming freely down Jane's cheeks and she nodded.

"I do." Odin smile and took their hands, which were clasped around Jane's bundle of red roses. Apparently it was a custom that the bride held a bouquet during the ceremony on Midgard.

"By the power vested in me as AllFather, king of Asgard, I now pronounce you husband and wife, Thor, god of thunder and storms, and Jane, goddess of science and common sense. You may kiss your bride." The sudden cheers and roars in the throne room were deafening as they echoed and the newlyweds kissed. Loki smiled and nodded at his brother as the pair turned and walked down the aisle, Jane's golden train being held up by the servants so it would not drag along the marbled floor.

From there, only the invited guests continued onto the reception in the ballroom. The commoners went home begrudgingly. He had been placed at the table with Sif and the Warriors Three, along with Darcy and Apollo. Zeus, Hera, Titania, Oberon, and Loki's adoptive parents were sitting with the newlyweds at the front of the room, and Odin had just finished giving his thank you speech. Which meant only one thing: the dancing would begin.

Naturally, the rulers of the three allied pantheons danced with their spouses first before others joined.

"Hey Mischief Maker." He looked up at Rosalba, smiling. She'd only been on Midgard for two years as a teenager, and yet she still talked like a Midgardian, even after all these years in Faylinn.

"Hello Rose. How are you and Lenwë?" She smiled a little.

"Better, now that we've gotten past that awkward teacher/student relationship phase," she joked, laughing. He smiled. Rosalba would get along great with Evee. "Anyway, would you care to dance?" He glanced at her outstretched hand, shaking his head a little.

"I'm currently searching for my dance partner, actually." Rosalba nodded with a cheerful smile.

"Alright! But I will get that dance, mister." She held up a finger pointed towards him to prove her point and he simply smiled again, nodding in confirmation. She practically skipped away and Loki shook his head with a small laugh. That fey will always be too energetic for her own good. Glancing around the dance floor, Loki smiled. Jane had her head on Thor's chest, her eyes closed as they swayed slowly, not truly dancing at all. Darcy was laughing at something Fandral said, leaning in for a kiss before he spun her around. Hogun and Sif were performing a graceful waltz, Sif's dark hair and silver dress spreading out around her as they twirled around the area. He caught sight of Volstagg and bit back a snicker at the sight before him.

Evee's small frame was practically hidden by Volstagg's massive arms as the pair awkwardly danced at the edge of the dance floor. Both were looking down at their feet, the bob of white-blonde hair sticking up like a rabbit's tail being the only sign of how he knew this. He could tell they were trying not to step on each other, Volstagg making more of an effort than Loki's beloved. Surely Volstagg would crush her dainty feet if he accidentally stepped on her.

Evee's emerald green dress hugged her body nicely, showing off curves that Loki hadn't even known were there. It was obviously a Midgardian dress from the way only one shoulder was covered, the sleeve extending to her wrist. At the end of the sleeve was a pointed part, and she had put her middle finger through a small loop that would ensure the point stayed straight. The hem swirled around her legs and barely brushed the floor as Volstagg spun her around, obviously trying not to break her fingers. Still, she laughed and returned to her place in front of him, the loose curls brushing her cheeks.

Loki caught a glimpse of the black and white shell necklace she had always worn. It seemed to fit nicely with the emerald silk. When Volstagg nearly stepped on her, Loki stood with the decision that it was time to intervene. He walked up behind Evee, and smiled at Volstagg.

"Volstagg, I do believe it is my turn to dance with the fair maiden." He saw Evee's spine straighten. Volstagg bowed his head politely and released her, stepping away. Evee turned and, just like usual, Loki's breath was taken away. Her silver eyelid dust made her, now wide, silvery blue eyes stand out greatly, and her lips were a nice shade of pale pink. He still had to tilt his head down to look her in the eye, but he noted that she had indeed grown several inches during their time apart.

"Loki!" she exclaimed, and suddenly he was breathing in the scent of vanilla as she threw her arms around him. "God, you have no idea how much I missed you!"

"Even then, I missed you so much more," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist. "Where were you during the ceremony? I was searching everywhere."

"Behind Volstagg," was all she said, and he nodded with an understanding chuckle. "Do you like the dress?" she questioned, stepping back so he could rake his eyes over her figure again. "I wore it for you, plus it matched my bracelet." She held up the piece of charmed jewelry, the emeralds sparkling under the light of the lanterns. She took his hand and rested the other on his shoulder. He placed his hand on her waist and they began spinning around the dance floor, not quite dancing but not quite _not_ dancing, either.

"You've grown," he observed and she smiled coyly.

"It's the heels, I assure you," she joked.

"I thought you couldn't walk in heels," he replied, his tone filled with mock suspicion.

"Somehow I'm managing to pull it off," she laughed and he smiled. "How were things while I was gone? Did Darcy behave?" He smirked.

"Define 'behave' because I had to have my room relocated due to her and Fandral's…ahem…activities." Evee choked on the breath of air she was taking in before bursting out in the musical laughter he'd been aiming for. He let his hand fall from her waist and held her out at arm's length, watching as she spun with a gleeful smile.

Then, before he knew it, she was back in front of him, rising, and placing her lips against his. He missed this. The warmth that always seemed to just radiate from her, clashing with the cold of his Jotun blood. Her long lashes brushed against his cheek as she tilted her head in order to kiss him deeper. He rested his hand on the nape of her neck, letting his own eyes slip closed for just a moment. She pulled back and took his hand.

"Come with me, I need to show you something," she whispered, and led him away from the dance floor and out of the ballroom, starting down the corridor. When he began to question their destination, she shushed him with an excited look. They continued walking in silence, the only sound being her heels clicking on the marble floor. _Okay, this is getting odd._

Finally, they arrived at a door not far from his own, and she opened it, stepping inside. When he followed, his eyes widened.

The entire area had been transformed into something similar to the helicarrier's debriefing room and her own room. There was a long table stretching across the wall with the ceiling-to-floor window, blueprints tacked up onto the corkboard wall. The canopied bed was covered with all sorts of gadgets he'd never seen before, and on the wall across from that was a desk with a high-tech looking computer and a large television screen. "The computer and television are for S.H.I.E.L.D purposes only, like conferencing and stuff," she explained, turning on her heel to face him. "The room must be charmed or something, because the moment I walked in it changed to how I preferred it." His lips parted in understanding, and they quickly spread into a grin.

"You're staying!" he exclaimed, running up to her and wrapping his arms around her, spinning her around. She laughed.

"I am! We caught Doom and Red Skull hiding out in Pakistan. They're currently awaiting trial, facing charges that include crimes against humanity." She grinned. "Director Fury said that I can continue my work from here. Isn't that great?"

"Indeed it is!" he replied with a laugh. She turned to examine the blueprints on the wall, and Loki tilted his head so that he could examine the side of her face. Evee was staying. They could have a life together. It could be a happy life. A good life. A good, happy life with Evee.

Just the thought made him smile.

They returned to the ballroom not long after to find a crowd filled completely of women gathered around the front of the dance floor. "What in the world…" Evee muttered, and the pair managed to shove their way to the middle of the crowd. Everyone was much too close for comfort, and Evee's elbow was digging into his ribs. "What the hell's going on?" Suddenly everyone was pushing and shoving and Loki could see Evee attempting to stay upright in her heels.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something flying through the air, and it collided with Evee's face. She cursed loudly, her hands immediately reaching up to grasp the attacker, and began to fall backward. Instinctively, Loki's arm shot out and he caught her, gripping her shoulder tightly. The ballroom went silent as Evee dragged the object from her face down to her middle, sputtering the tiny pieces of whatever was in her hands from her mouth. She looked down at the object. Her jaw dropped and Darcy squealed with delight. The blonde looked up and found she and Loki shared an expression of pure and utter shock.

For sitting in Evee's hands, pressed lightly against her chest, was a bouquet of ruby red roses.

_**Fin.**_

…

**OH MY GOD IT'S OVER! *sobs uncontrollably***

**I'm going to miss writing this story so much, but you know the saying: All good things must come to an end. Although, I'm literally crying while writing this.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Loki's Little Helper and LoneAngel666, along with the anon that most recently reviewed, because they have been reviewing and encouraging me almost nonstop and following along since the beginning (as in, since I first posted this story).**

**However, this entire story is dedicated to all of my reviewers and readers and subscribers. If it weren't for you guys, then this wouldn't have been the first story I've ever completed. I know I've said this before, but you will never truly know how grateful and how so very thankful I am that I have such amazing readers like you guys. You kept me encouraged and you continued to give me constructive criticism. My writing had definitely progressed because of the advice I've been receiving. I honestly don't know where I would be without you all.**

**I hope you all have enjoyed reading **_**Mischief**_**, because I have definitely enjoyed writing it.**

**Yours truly,**

**Hannah (a.k.a. musician'sluck2010)**


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